How can you use home grown onions?

Unless carefully planned, late-winter and early-spring gardens can be affected by what is commonly termed The Hungry Gap; a time when there is not much to eat fresh from the garden. However, by planting autumn onion sets, these edible bulbs will soon be ready for harvest. And if you’ve got lots of onions hanging in the shed, here’s a great recipe to make the most of them.

Onions are versatile both in their raw or cooked form – from using as a base to enhancing all kinds of recipes from across the globe. So, with that in mind, the next time you fancy something spicy, instead of reaching for the takeaway menu why not have a go at making your own Onion Bhajees – after all fresh onions not only contain vitamin C, but they have good levels of phytochemicals inside including Quercetin and Chromium that help improve immunity, regulate blood sugar, lower LDL cholesterol levels help heal inflammation and infections, and give protection from some cancers.

As well as planting in the autumn, onions can also be grown from both seed and bulb anytime from Boxing day onwards. But don’t just take my word for it, a quick peek at Vicki Cooke’s feature on onions here will tell you everything you need to know for your best crop ever.

Ingredients

3 Large onions. 2 Free range eggs at room temperature. 120g of Plain Flour (or Garam flour/chickpea flour). 2-3 Teaspoons of Garam Masala. ½ Teaspoon of Turmeric. Vegetable oil.

Method

Peel and slice the onions into rings.

Using a large bowl, beat the eggs and spices together until well blended. Add the onion.

Sieve in the flour and mix well, either using a wooden spoon or your fingers if you prefer.

Put around three tablespoons of oil into a deep-frying pan and once it reaches medium heat drop several spoonfuls or small balls of the Bhajee mixture into the pan.

Fry for abbot thirty to forty-five seconds, until they are golden brown then turn over and fry the other side. Keep turning the bhajees until they are golden throughout.

Drain on kitchen roll and serve.

Note. Traditional bhajees are made with Garam flour, (chickpea flour) but this recipe works just as well with normal flour if you don’t have Garam flour. For a gluten free version use Chickpea flour instead but do check the ingredients in your Garam masala too to ensure it is gluten free.