Onion Bhaji Pancake with Mango Salsa

Are you ready for some colour?! I have a veritable rainbow for you today, in the shape of this Onion Bhaji Pancake with Mango Salsa. There's no way you can look at that picture and not have a smile on your face. So much spring colour. In fact, forget spring, this practically screams summer!

Please tell me you've eaten onion bhajis before? They're a mandatory part of any Indian meal, surely. When done well, they're crunchy and so full of flavour. But they're not exactly the healthiest fare, being deep-fried to achieve that crispy edge. Onion bhaji lovers fear not - I have the solution!

You'll come to realise (and may have already) that I have a habit of creating a spate of recipes with the same ingredient because I get so obsessed and chickpea flour is no exception. I couldn't help myself! (I could, but I didn't want to!) Meet tandoori sweet potato socca pizzas' big brother - Onion Bhaji Pancake with Mango Salsa. You're going to be good friends.

Oh, you really are going to want to make this - and soon. For a start, it's quick and easy to make. No screaming vats of hot oil required. Phew! And of course, as a result, this is a light and nutritious dinner, which also happens to be seriously satisfying. In more ways than one! Not only does this simple supper fill you up, it's also a riot of colours, flavours and textures, which can't fail to put a smile on your face.

Onion bhajis are typically served (at least they are here in England) with mango chutney, the sweet and lightly spiced condiment found ubiquitously at Indian restaurants. My husband loves the stuff. I can't stand it. But I knew that I wanted to serve something on the sweet/sour side to complement the pancake. So I whipped up a ridiculously easy mango salsa to serve alongside. It's a mandatory part of this dish so no skipping! And my husband didn't complain that there was no actual mango chutney so there you go.

You've also got to make the simple herbed yoghurt to dollop over the top. It's so easy but it balances out all of the other flavours perfectly and is reminiscent of that other Indian food stalwart, raita. And it's easy to keep the entire recipe vegan - just make sure you use a vegan yoghurt. I haven't tried, but I bet a touch of coconut yoghurt would work perfectly here.

This is genuinely so easy to make, you just need to fry some onions and stir a few things together and that's basically it! You have yourself a gorgeous supper for two that's just filled with good stuff. It's practically a salad! Trust me, go and make it and see if you don't love chickpea flour as much as I do.

If you make this, snap a photo and tag it with the hashtag #eatloveeats on instagram so that I can see!

Onion Bhaji Pancake with Mango Salsa

A chickpea flour based onion bhaji pancake with sweet and zingy mango salsa and refreshing chilli yoghurt.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 2

Author: Sasha Hooper

Equipment

• ▢
  Frying pan

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 150 g chickpea (gram) flour, (1 ¼ cups) sieved
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 250 ml cold water, (1 cup)
• ▢ 2 onions, sliced into half moons
• ▢ 2 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil
• ▢ julienned carrots, radishes, salad cress, sprouts to serve

For the mango salsa

• ▢ ½ mango, finely diced
• ▢ ½ green chilli, finely diced
• ▢ small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ▢ squeeze of lime juice

For the yoghurt

• ▢ 130 g yoghurt of choice, (½ cup) Greek, coconut, etc
• ▢ ½ green chilli, finely chopped
• ▢ sprig of mint and dill, finely chopped

Instructions

• Turn on your grill. In a medium sized bowl place the sieved chickpea flour. Add the cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Using a whisk, gradually incorporate the water until you have a thick, smooth batter.
  150 g chickpea (gram) flour, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 250 ml cold water
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onions for 5-10 minutes, or until soft and golden. Tip the onions into the batter, along with the remaining tablespoon of oil and mix well.
  2 onions, 2 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil
• Add a little more oil to the frying pan if necessary and place back over a medium heat. Pour in the pancake batter and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the base is golden. Place the frying pan under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the pancake is set.
• Serve topped with a dollop of the mango salsa, the yoghurt and a good helping of julienned veggies and cress.
  julienned carrots

For the mango salsa

• Mix all of the ingredients together and taste, adding more lime as desired.
  ½ mango, ½ green chilli, squeeze of lime juice, small handful of coriander leaves

For the yoghurt

• Mix all of the ingredients together along with a pinch of salt to taste.
  130 g yoghurt of choice, ½ green chilli, sprig of mint and dill

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Notes

This easily serves 2 hungry people for dinner and would probably stretch to 4 for a light lunch.

Nutrition label is for 2 servings, including the yoghurt and salsa!

Nutrition

Calories: 638kcal | Carbohydrates: 84.3g | Protein: 26.9g | Fat: 23.5g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 8.5mg | Sodium: 137.4mg | Potassium: 1504.5mg | Fiber: 15.1g | Sugar: 33.4g | Vitamin A: 630.4IU | Vitamin C: 105.2mg | Calcium: 209.9mg | Iron: 6.8mg

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Indian

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