Did you know you can make easy healthy air fryer onion bhajis in less than 30 minutes? If I am having an Indian for tea then onion bhajis have to be part of that, it just seems so wrong without them, don’t you think?
Here I share with you my air fryer onion bhajis that are healthy and cheap to make as well as quick and easy. You really can’t go wrong with them I promise!
Disclaimer: Just Average Jen is not connected with any weight loss plan. Please check nutritional values and/or syns yourself as these are approximate to the best of my knowledge.
Enjoying this recipe on a diet
If you are looking to lose weight or eat more healthily then this recipe is perfect. Onion bhajis are usually made by deep frying the mixture to create a crispy side dish.
Whilst this makes them taste great it also means the mixture retains a lot of oil and makes them rather unhealthy.
These are air fryer onion bhajis and they only use a very small amount of spray oil. This makes a huge difference to the number of calories in a portion.
On the Slimming World diet, in my experience, the only part of this recipe you would need to syn is the chickpea flour. The only exception to this is if you use a synned spray oil.
Frylight is generally classed as free; however, oil put into a sprayer can be a small number of syns. That said it is still significantly less than deep frying them.
Choosing the best ingredients for healthy air fryer onion bhajis
When making onion bhajis in the air fryer there are only a few ingredients that don’t take too long to measure out.
This air fryer onion bhaji recipe calls for one red onion and one brown onion. That said it is entirely up to you, I wouldn’t recommend a shop especially and you can use whichever you have.
If you prefer to use garlic from a jar or tube that is free from oil, this will not change the taste and may save you time instead of crushing your own garlic. The choice is yours. Whichever you use, you will love this recipe.
I am not keen on adding salt to most recipes, but in this recipe, it makes a big difference and is needed to bring out the flavours, so I would advise against leaving it out unless you need to for health reasons.
The fresh chilli in this recipe is very much optional. If you like mild onion bhajis I would suggest you leave them out, if you prefer them spicy add it in.
What is gram flour or chickpea flour? If you are looking at this recipe and wondering what gram flour is or where you can buy it, then don’t panic.
It is chickpea flour and is available in larger supermarkets often in the Asian Foods section or the world foods section. It is also available on Amazon.
How to make your healthy air fryer onion bhajis step-by-step
Firstly, if your air fryer is one with a blade that turns the contents around, for example, an Actifry, then for this recipe, you will need to remove the paddle.
I always recommend that the first thing you do when making any recipe is get all the ingredients out so you are sure you have all you need.
It is so easy to forget that you have run out of a specific spice and forgotten until you are in the middle of cooking!
Next, chop your onions and put them in a bowl, add your crushed garlic, all the spices, salt and finally the gram flour.
If you are using chilli then this is the point you should also add the finely chopped chilli.
Stir the mixture well add 4 tbsp of cold tap water and stir again. As you stir, it should combine well and look like a batter around the onion.
Leave the mixture now and set aside for 5-10 minutes. You could leave them longer at this stage if you prefer to make in advance. How about making some other side dishes in the meantime? This samosa recipe for kids would be a great choice. Meanwhile, preheat your air fryer to 200°c, this should take around 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, spoon your bhaji mixture into silicone cupcake cases, spray with spray oil put them in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove the basket from the air fryer and turn each bhaji over.
They can now be removed from the silicone cupcake cases to ensure they crisp well as they are firm enough not to stick together now they are half cooked.
Spray them again with spray oil and cook for a further 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with yoghurt and mint dip, which you can buy or easily make with fat-free yoghurt and chopped fresh mint or a little mint sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Here I will answer some of your questions that you may have about this tasty healthy air fryer onion bhajis recipe so you can make them perfectly.
These are still too spicy for me. Can I make them milder?
If you are still finding these a little too spicy for you, try omitting the chilli powder from the recipe and see if this helps.
Can I use just brown onions or just red onions?
Yes, you can use any onions you like. I think they work best with a red onion and a brown onion, but the choice is yours.
How can I make my healthy air fryer onion bhajis less uniform in shape?
There are two things you can do to make your bhajis less round if this is your preference. Firstly you can cut the onions into larger pieces so they stick out of the bhaji more.
Secondly, you can put the mixture onto a liner in your air fryer rather than in silicone cupcake cases. If you do this, just be sure that they don’t touch each other so they do not turn into just one huge bhaji!
Other recipes you might enjoy
If you like a good Indian fakeaway, then I have picked out some other Indian or curry recipes below that I think you will enjoy.
Aloo Gajar Matar recipe in the slow cooker
Slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipe
Chicken and mushroom curry recipe
Easy healthy air fryer onion bhajis recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 bhajis 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air fryer
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
This is an easy healthy air fryer onion bhaji recipe that is perfect for all the family and to accompany your Indian fakeaway at home for fewer calories.
Ingredients
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 small brown onion, finely diced
1 tsp salt
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
0.5 tsp ground cumin
90g gram flour or organic chickpea flour
4 tbsp tap water
Spray oil
1 chilli, deseeded and finely diced (optional)
Instructions
Chop your onions into small pieces and put them in a bowl; add your crushed garlic, all the spices, salt and finally, the gram flour. If you are using chilli, then this is the point you should also add the finely chopped chilli.
Stir the mixture well and add 4 tbsp of cold tap water and stir again. As you stir it should combine well and look like a batter around the onion.
Leave the mixture now and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile preheat your air fryer to 200°c, this should take around 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes spoon your bhaji mixture into silicone cupcake cases, spray with spray oil and put them in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes remove the basket from the air fryer and turn each of the bhajis over.
They can now be removed from the silicone cupcake cases to ensure they crisp well as they are firm enough to not stick together now they are half cooked.
Spray them again with spray oil and cook for a further 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with yoghurt and mint dip which you can buy or easily make with fat-free yoghurt and chopped fresh mint or a little mint sauce.
About Author
Hi, I’m Jen Mellor; I live in Nottingham, UK. and use my knowledge and experience in weight loss and confidence to help you become your own cheerleader and best friend. I am usually seen wearing colourful leggings and love to wear bright colours. Wear what you love, and be proud of your style and choices!