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For other uses, see Bhajji (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Pav bhaji.
Chilli Bites (Bhaji).jpg
Onion bhajji (left) with potato pakoras
Alternative names Bhaji, bajji
Type Fritter
Place of origin India
Region or state Karnataka
Main ingredients Gram flour, vegetables
Similar dishes Pakora and other fritters made from wheat or corn flour
Cookbook: Bhajji  Media: Bhajji

Bhajji, bhaji or bajji, is a spicy Indian snack similar to a fritter, with several variants. Outside the Indian states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, such preparations are often known as pakora. It is usually served as a topping with various Indian meals, but has become popular to eat alone as a snack.[citation needed] It is a popular street food in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and West Bengal in India, and can be found for sale in street-side stalls, especially in tapris (common food stalls on streets) and dhabas on highways.

Apart from being a must in the traditional Maharashtrian, Tamil, and Telugu meal on special occasions like festivals, bhajjis top the comfort food list when it comes to monsoons and rains. They are generally served with a piping hot cup of coffee, tea, or a traditional serving of Yameen.



  1. Rice or gram flour
  2. Chopped or diced vegetables: Onions can be sliced into thin semi-circles. Potatoes and eggplants can be diced into whole circles.
  3. Basic spices like salt, turmeric, and ajwain seeds
  4. Paste of fresh green chillies and fresh ginger. Alternately, finely chopped green chillies and red chilli powder instead of ginger.
  5. Finely chopped coriander


  1. Prepare a dough of gram flour and water with a consistency that will allow you to pick the mixture and drop in the oil for frying without disseminating. Adding rice flour to the batter, even a spoonful, adds a crispiness. Ensure that there are no lumps.
  2. Add salt, turmeric, ajwain, chilli-ginger paste, and coriander to the batter and mix well. The better you mix, the airier the mixture becomes.
  3. For onion bajji, mix all the onions in the batter at once.
  4. For other vegetables, pick and dip each slice in the batter.
  5. Coat the vegetable on all sides with the batter and drop gently in the oil, one after the other.
  6. Let the bajjis fry until golden and crispy.
  7. Serve hot with ketchup or fresh chutney.

Variations: Chilli bajji and bread bajji (or bread pakoda) are some of the most famous variations of bhajji.

Onion bhajjis are often eaten as a starter in Indian restaurants before the main course, along with poppadoms and other Indian snacks. They may be served with a side of salad and slice of lemon, or with mango chutney, and are traditionally made to a mild taste.[citation needed]

See also[edit]