ONION BAJJI | VENGAYA BAJJI – SNACKS RECIPES

March 6, 2025 | By
bajji

This is my first post on bajji recipes. Myself and Sendhil loves bajji a lot. My MIL makes this onion bajji / vengaya bajji very often as an evening snack especially for guests. I have seen my friends making bajji with store bought readymade bajji mix. I had a thought that bajji batter is very difficult to prepare at home. But when I saw my MIL making bajji, I felt it so easy and it can be done in no time.

Before marriage, I have seen my mom making bajji on Diwali. She makes all the varieties ( i.e. Raw banana, brinjal, onion, potato) in one go. We choose our favourite among them and enjoy eating it along with sweets. Both mom & Mil follows the same recipe. Its so simple.. 

The ratio of besan flour & rice flour is 3:1. For this ratio, you’ll get a crispy exterior & a soft interior. Addition of cooking soda/ baking soda is also very important to get a puffy bajji. Otherwise bajji won’t bulge and it will be flat. Too much of cooking soda makes the bajji absorb more oil.  Adding a pinch would do. If you make bajji with store bought mix, try this recipe for a change. U’ll love it and you’ll stop buying the readymade ones.

bajji closeup
INGREDIENTS
1 cup – 250ml
  • Besan flour / Kadala maavu – 3/4 cup
  • Rice flour / Arisi maavu – 1/4 cup
  • Cooking soda / baking soda – A big pinch
  • Orange food color – A pinch (optional)
  • Red chilli powder – 1.5 tsp ( add 1 tsp for less spice)
  • Hing/Asafetida – 1/4tsp
  • Ajwain/ omam/ Carom seeds OR cumin seeds/ jeera – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt – As needed
  • Water – 3/4 – 1 cup ( adjust)
HOW TO MAKE ONION BAJJI – METHOD
  • Peel , wash and cut the head & tail portions of onions & slice into 1/4 inch thick rings. You can cut the onion with skin to get slices evenly. Set aside. 

onion bajji tile1

  • In a wide bowl , mix all the flours, powders, Ajwain / carom seeds or cumin seeds, salt and add water to make a slightly watery batter( like dosa batter). If you make it too watery, bajji will have tails. At the same time , thick batter yeilds hard bajjis. The batter should be slightly thick & flow like a ribbon. It should coat the onion pieces well. Adjust water & flour accordingly. Dip the onion rings in the batter & coat it well.

onion bajji tile2
onion bajji tile3

  • Heat oil in a kadai and check with a drop of batter to find the correct heating point.ie. If you put a drop of batter , the batter will rise immediately and floats on top. As soon as you get this heating point , simmer the flame and drop the onion rings coated well with batter..

onion bajji tile6onion bajji tile4

  • Deep fry till the color changes golden brown and the bubbles ceases..Flip it and again cook for a minute. Drain & remove in a tissue paper..

onion bajji tile5
Serve hot immediately..We love to have with coconut chutney !!
bajji piece
NOTE
  • Addition of food color gives a nice color to bajji as you see in stalls..
  • My mom & mil adds cumin seeds but i used ajwain for an enhanced flavour. Use any as per ur wish.
  • Please don’t skip adding baking soda . It gives a puffy , soft bajji. Make sure u don’t add much because bajji will be very oily and it is unhealthy too..
  • Adjust the consistency of batter.. Batter should not be too thin or too thick. If ur batter has become too thin , add besan & rice flour in 3:1 ratio and adjust the batter..If it is too thick add more water. Always add the extra water using a tbsp & check it..

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25 thoughts on “ONION BAJJI | VENGAYA BAJJI – SNACKS RECIPES”

  1. Radha Natarajan

    really appreciate your pics, recipe and the description especially the tails part! so true! even a novice can now prepare bajjis after reading your details and instructions.Often I myself buuy ready powders to see how different they are from home made ones.Nothing to beat fresh home made batter.

    Reply
  8. Vikis Kitchen

    OMG , I love this bajji very much and having one photo in my draft for a long time But yours look very pretty and makes me very hungry:)
    Regarding the corn tortilla: I have left the answer in my home made corn tortilla recipe. But FYI: You can inquire a nearby dry grinding flour mill, if they can make this corn flour from makka cholam (yellow corn). wheat tortillas also can make similar wraps and are equally popular. Try and let me know.

    Reply
  17. Sukanya

    Wonderful pictures and step by step instructions. Your blog is my first stop when i venture to try interesting/different items.

    Wish to share a tip that I do to avoid the soda and always succeed in getting crispy bajjis.

    In the dry mix of mavus, I add one/two tsp of oil hot (that i will use to fry bajji), mix the mavus and oil before adding water to make the batter.

    Also I have used 50% kadala mavu and 50% pottukadala mavu and get crispy and soft bajjis.

    Reply
    1. Chitra

      Thank u so much sukanya. will try ur tip for soda replacement..Adding pottukadala maavu is also a good idea. Thanks for sharing dear :)

      Reply
  19. Sudha Sabarish

    Made 2 days back and turned yummy.Water measurement was very useful for me as this is the first time i tried.

    Reply
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