Name: Bhajiya Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 cups gram flour ((besan)); ⅓ cup Rice Flour; 1 teaspoon carom seeds ((ajwain)); 1 to 2 pinches asafoetida ((hing)); 1 teaspoon red chili powder; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds (– optional); water (– as needed to make the batter); salt (– add according to taste); 2 to 3 small-sized brinjal (– thinly sliced (eggplant)); 1 large potato (– peeled and thinly sliced); 4 large green chili (– the larger variety of green chilies meant for bajji or pakoda); 2 to 3 slices of bread (– whole wheat or regular white bread); oil (– as required for deep frying)

Bhajiya are crisp Indian fritters made with vegetables or other ingredients coated in a seasoned gram flour batter and deep fried. Some varieties are also prepared from ground lentils mixed with spices and herbs. In this mixed bhajiya recipe, thin slices of potato and brinjal, large green chillies and bread pieces are coated and fried separately. Serve them hot with green chutney, tomato ketchup or masala chai.

Jump to Recipe

Easy Mix Bhajiya Recipe

The word bhajiya is commonly used in Gujarati for a fried fritter. Bhajiya, bhaji, bajji and Pakora are related regional terms for batter-coated vegetables, mixed vegetable fritters and lentil fritters made across India.

Mix bhajiya are popular as a street food and are also sold at many mithai and farsan shops in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. At home, I make this assorted platter on special occasions.

There are two common ways of making mixed vegetable fritters. You can finely chop or grate several vegetables and combine them in one batter, as in my Vegetable Pakora, or coat individual vegetable slices in batter and fry each variety separately. I use the second method in this recipe.

The batter is made with gram flour (besan) and some rice flour, which gives the coating a crisper texture. Carom seeds, asafoetida, turmeric and red chilli powder add flavor, while the chilli powder also brings some heat.

More Options: I make a mixed bhajiya platter with potato, brinjal, large green chillies and bread. Each one has a different texture, and you can choose whichever variety you prefer.

You can vary the platter by adding cauliflower, capsicum, raw banana or onion, or by using them in place of the vegetables included here.

For more ideas and detailed methods, see my Onion Pakoda, Potato Pakora, Cauliflower Pakoda, Banana Bajji, Chilli Pakoda and Brinjal Bajji. Sweet potato, cabbage and bitter gourd are other suitable choices.

Slicing Veggies: Cut the vegetables into thin, even slices or small florets, as appropriate, so that they cook through by the time the coating becomes golden and crispy.

I hope you enjoy making this simple mix bhajiya recipe for your family and friends.

More Indian Fritter Recipes

How To Make Bhajiya (Stepwise)

Make The Batter

1. Add 2 cups gram flour (besan) to a mixing bowl. Ensure that the flour is fresh and has no stale or rancid smell.

Add 1 teaspoon of ajwain (carom seeds) and ⅓ cup rice flour.

Gram flour, carom seeds and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 to 2 pinches of hing and salt as required. Add 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds if you prefer.

Baking soda: If you prefer a slightly puffier coating, add 2 to 3 pinches of baking soda. I have not added it, as whisking the batter thoroughly until smooth and well aerated gives a light coating without it.

Rice flour and ground spices with gram flour in bowl.

3. Mix all the dry ingredients evenly. Break up any small lumps of gram flour with a spoon or whisk.

4. Gradually add water as needed and whisk thoroughly for a few minutes to aerate the batter.

Water being poured on the dry ingredients.

5. Make a smooth, medium-thick batter without any lumps.

The batter should flow from the spoon or whisk but must be thick enough to coat the vegetable slices evenly. Set the batter aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Tip: If it is too thick, add a little more water. If it becomes thin, mix in a small amount of gram flour.

Batter whisked an dripping from the whisk.

Prepare Vegetables & Bread

6. Rinse and thinly slice 2 to 3 small brinjals (small eggplants). Keep the slices in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes to prevent discoloration and remove any bitterness from the brinjals.

Thinly slice 1 large potato into even rounds. You can peel the potato or leave the peel on after scrubbing it well.

Rinse and wipe 4 large mild green chillies. Slit each chilli lengthwise without cutting through the top or bottom, so that it remains whole. Remove the seeds using a small spoon.

Cut 3 bread slices diagonally into triangles or divide them into smaller pieces.

Note: Before coating them in batter, drain the brinjal slices and rinse them briefly. Pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel so that the batter adheres properly and the oil does not splutter.

Collage of sliced potatoes, bread halves and slit green chilies with a second image of sliced brinjals soaking in water in a bowl.

Make Bhajiya

7. Heat the required amount of oil for deep-frying in a kadai or heavy pan over medium heat. The oil should be moderately hot before you begin frying.

Drop a small amount of batter into the oil to check the temperature. It should rise gradually to the surface without browning too quickly. If it remains at the bottom, the oil is not hot enough. If it darkens quickly, reduce the heat.

Fry this small portion of batter, let it cool slightly and taste it. Adjust the salt or spices in the batter if needed.

Dip one potato slice into the batter and coat it on both sides. Let the excess batter drip back into the bowl, then carefully slide the coated slice into the hot oil.

Sliced potatoes dipped in seasoned and spiced gram flour batter.

8. Add a few more coated potato slices without overcrowding the kadai. Fry until one side becomes light golden, then turn them over and fry the other side.

9. Continue turning as needed until the potato is cooked and the coating is crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper or a wire rack.

Collage of potato bhajiya being fried in oil and golden fried potato bhajiya on paper towels.

10. Coat the slit green chillies with the batter and carefully place them in the hot oil. Fry on medium heat, turning them as needed, until crisp and golden.

Dip the bread pieces in the batter one at a time. Coat them quickly, allow the excess batter to drip off and fry until crisp and golden. Bread absorbs oil easily, so make sure the oil is sufficiently hot.

Collage of chili bhajiya and bread bhajia being fried in oil.

11. Lastly, coat the dry brinjal slices in the batter. Fry them in batches until the brinjal is tender and the outer coating is crisp and golden.

Maintain a medium to medium-high oil temperature throughout frying. Allow the oil to become hot again between batches if its temperature drops.

Collage of batter coated brinjal slices in hot oil and brinjal bhajia being fried in oil

12. Place the golden fried bhajiya on kitchen paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle the hot bhajiya with chaat masala and some chopped coriander leaves, if you like. Serve immediately.

Assorted bhajia on a plate with chutneys in separate bowls.

Serving Suggestions & Storage

Serve bhajiya hot or warm with Coriander Chutney, Pudina Chutney, Tamarind Chutney or ketchup. They also pair well with Masala Chai, Adrak Chai, Irani Chai or regular Indian tea.

You can arrange the potato, brinjal, chilli and bread fritters together on a platter. This makes it easy for everyone to select the variety they prefer.

Bhajiya taste best soon after frying, when their coating is crisp. They soften upon cooling and are not suited to extended storage.

If you have leftovers, cool them completely and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 day. Reheat them in an oven or air fryer at 180°C/356°F until warm and crisp. Avoid reheating in a microwave, as it may make the coating chewy.

Dassana’s Recipe Tips

Batter consistency: Make a medium-thick batter that coats the vegetable slices without sliding off. A thin batter produces a patchy coating and absorbs more oil, while a very thick batter can remain doughy.
Slice evenly: Cut the potato and brinjal into thin, evenly sized slices. This helps the vegetables cook at the same rate as the batter.
Dry the ingredients: Pat the vegetables completely dry before dipping them in the batter. Excess water can thin the batter and cause the oil to splutter.
Keep the oil moderately hot: Oil that is not hot enough makes the fritters oily. A very hot oil browns the coating before the vegetables cook.
Fry in small batches: Do not overcrowd the kadai. Adding too many pieces lowers the oil temperature and prevents even frying.
Use rice flour carefully: Rice flour helps make the coating crisp, but too much can make it hard. Use the quantity mentioned in the recipe, or reduce it slightly if you prefer a less crisp coating.
Choose mild chillies: Use large chillies that are meant for bhajiyas. Slit them carefully and remove the seeds.
Fry bread quickly: Do not leave bread sitting in the batter. Coat and fry it immediately so that it does not become soggy or absorb too much batter.
Make it gluten-free: The vegetable and chilli bhajiya are gluten-free if you use gluten-free hing. Omit the bread or use gluten-free bread.

Bhajiya Recipe (Assorted Indian Fritters)

Easy Mix Bhajiya Recipe