DISH RESEARCH · Snack
Bhajia
Also known as: भजिया
Spiced potato fritters with a chickpea-and-wheat batter and cucumber chutney.
About Bhajia
Sanjana Modha shares her father’s potato bhajias within her family’s East African and Gujarati cooking. Sliced potatoes carry a chickpea-and-plain-flour batter, with his cucumber chutney alongside.
Garlic powder, ginger, turmeric, chilli and ajwain season the batter. The chutney combines cucumber, tomato, carrot, garlic, coriander, green chilli and lemon, giving the hot-and-sour contrast described by Modha.
The fritters have crisp coatings and fluffy, steamy potato centres. The chutney remains coarsely puréed and cold beside the hot bhajias, with kadak masala chai offered to drink.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Wheat (gluten), Milk.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Bhajia
Sanjana Modha’s father’s East African–Gujarati potato bhajias.
- PotatoesBase
- Chickpea flourBinder
- Plain flourBinder
- Baking powderSeasoning
- Citric acidSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- Garlic powderSeasoning
- Onion powderSeasoning
- Ground gingerSeasoning
- Ground turmericSeasoning
- Chilli powderSeasoning
- Ajwain seedsAromatic
- SaltSeasoning
- Sunflower oilCooking medium
- WaterLiquid
- Fresh corianderAromatic
- Fresh ajwain leavesAromatic · OptionalIngredient page not linked
- Green chilliesSeasoning
- CucumberBase · Cucumber chutney
- Ripe tomatoesBase · Cucumber chutney
- CarrotsBase · Cucumber chutney
- GarlicAromatic · Cucumber chutney
- Lemon juiceSeasoning · Cucumber chutney
- SugarSweetener · Cucumber chutney
- Kadak masala chaiAccompanimentIngredient page not linked
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Potatoes: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Chickpea flour: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Plain flour: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Wheat (gluten) source-confirmed. Broader flour link, actual ordinary plain wheat flour89; gluten-free replacement not selected.
- Baking powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Citric acid: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Exact source91, no verified catalogue candidate established.
- Garlic powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Onion powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Ground ginger: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Ground turmeric: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Broader turmeric link, actual ground95.
- Chilli powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Exact chilli species/product unprovided.
- Ajwain seeds: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Broader ajwain link, actual seeds97.
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Batter and chutney portions consolidated.
- Sunflower oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Selected sunflower option99/104 for batter and deep-frying over rapeseed.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Explicit potato ice-cold-water contact117, batter100 and chutney113; no separate ice ingredient inferred from cold-water description.
- Fresh coriander: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Core101 plus chutney110 leaves and stalks; broader leaf candidate includes source stem use.
- Fresh ajwain leaves (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Optional102, exact leaf form not replaced with seeds or oregano.
- Green chillies: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Required hot-chilli chutney111 and optional extra batter103 consolidated; exact cultivars unprovided.
- Cucumber: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Ripe tomatoes: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Carrots: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Lemon juice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Kadak masala chai: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Milk source-confirmed. Chosen serving70 expressly strong sweet tea with milk and cardamom; full beverage recipe unprovided.
Origins & food traditions
Cuisines & regions
- East African–Gujarati Cuisine
- Indo-Fijian CuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Kenyan Swahili Coastal CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.