Maru Bhajiya or Maru na bhajiya as how mostly Gujaratis will say it in the UK. It is known as the original East African recipe for crispy potato bhajiya. Maru is the name of the restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya where they are super famous for this crispy potato bhajiyas. They have a branch in Wembley (UK) where they serve this crispy bhajiyas with delicious Tomato Chutney. Although now many restaurants have imitated the method of making the bhajiyas and so you would find it in many restaurants as an appetizer all over the UK. I wouldn't claim that my recipe is exactly the same as theirs but it is very similar to Maru's bhajiya and trust me you wouldn't be a disappointment if you do make it.
Servings - 2 to 3 people
Ingredients:
Potatoes (Russet) or Big white potatoes - 3 to 4 medium
Oil for frying
For the batter:
Besan flour (Garbanzo) - 5 Tablespoons
Rice Flour - 4 Tablespoons
Corn Starch - 2 Tablespoons
Lemon Juice - 1 1/2 Tablespoons
Grated Ginger - 2 Tablespoons
Finely Chopped Garlic - 1 Tablespoon
Finely Chopped Green Chilli - 1 Tablespoon or to your taste
Red chilli powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Ajwain (Carom) seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Finely Chopped Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Kasuri Methi or Fresh Methi - finely crushed or chopped - 2 Tablespoons
Asafetida (hing)- pinch
Bicarbonate soda - pinch
For the tomato Chutney:
Roma Tomatoes - 3 finely chopped
Cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped
Carrot - 1/2 cup grated
Green Chilli - 1 to 2 hot ones finely chopped or to your taste
Jaggery - (grated or paste) 1/2 teaspoon or 2 to 3 Tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon Juice - to your taste
Salt to taste
Cilantro - finely chopped - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon or to your taste
Instructions/Method for Bhajiyas:
1. Peel and slice the potatoes with the mandolin slicer or use a very sharp knife to cut them very thin. Mandolin slicer works wonder for this recipe. Soak them in iced or cold water. Add some salt to it and let it rest for least half an hour. Then Drain and lay them on a clean kitchen towel to absorb all the water. Note: Do not cut them as thin as potato chips or wafers.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the potato slices and add all the ingredients listed for the batter above (apart from bicarbonate soda). Don't add water as the lemon juice and salt will lead the potato to release some water which is what helps the dry batter ingredients to stick to the potato slices. Note: At first it will look dry adding and mixing all the ingredients. Let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes. After, add a pinch of bicarbonate soda and mix all the batter ingredients well with the potato slices.
3. Pour enough oil into a small frying pan to enable you to shallow fry the bhajias.
4. Before you start frying the bhajiyas, ensure to do a heat check by placing a drop of batter into the pan. The batter should sizzle and rise to the surface. At first, keep the heat high for the oil.
5. Start placing slices of potatoes in the hot oil and ensure you coat the slices with batter properly before placing them. Do not overlap the slices on top of each other in the oil. Fry until they are crispy and golden brown. Ensure to lower the heat to medium once you have added the slices. you may need to adjust the heat occasionally to ensure the bhajiyas cook well and crispy.
6. Place the bhajiyas on a dish covered with a kitchen towel and let the oil drain.
7. Serve immediately with the Special Maru bhajiya Chutney :)
Instructions/Method for Tomato Chutney:
In a chopper, add all the listed Tomato Chutney ingredients and run the chopper till everything is mixed well and is in the chutney consistency but coarse in texture.
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