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Bhajias with Chutney (Kenyan Spiced Potato Chips with Fresh Vegetable Salsa)

https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/recipes/bhajias-with-chutney-kenyan-spiced-potato-chips-with-fresh-vegetable-salsa/

Bhajias with Chutney (Kenyan Spiced Potato Chips with Fresh Vegetable Salsa) recipe

Prep Time

20 Minutes

Make Time

30 Minutes

Yield

About 4 servings

Sorghum Form

Bhajias are a common street food in Kenya, where they were introduced in the early 1900s by Indian immigrants. Traditionally, a thin-sliced potato dipped into a light and crispy batter, fried until golden brown, and served with chutney, they’re a perfect appetizer or snack any time of the day.

Bhajias originated in the Punjab region of India where they are still popular but became an iconic piece of Kenyan street food due to the Maru family that made the traditional fritter with a thinner and crispier batter.

What better way to celebrate the fusion of cultures and cuisines than to make bhajias with one of Kenya’s staple and native grains, sorghum? This recipe takes the traditional method and makes the bhajia even lighter and crispier with whole-grain sorghum flour which is perfect for light-fried batter applications.

Ingredients

Bhajia Ingredients:

  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • ½ cup whole grain sorghum flour
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 tablespoons peri peri sauce or hot sauce (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 russet potatoes, thinly sliced

Chutney Ingredients:

  • ½ cup cucumber, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup tomato, seeded, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup carrot, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoons ginger, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

Bhajia Instructions:

  1. Preheat oil in a pan or fryer to 350°F.
  2. Combine sorghum flour, ginger, cumin, peri peri, salt, and cilantro in a large bowl.
  3. Add the water into the bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Thinly slice the potatoes into thin chips (about ⅛ inch thick) using a knife or mandolin. Dip the potatoes into the batter. The batter should be just thick enough to coat the potatoes, but not run off entirely. Add more water or flour as needed to reach the desired texture
  5. Fry the sliced potatoes until golden brown, remove them from the oil, and hold in a warm oven while frying the remaining chips.

Chutney Instructions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until the texture of a salsa.

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Serve bhajias on a platter with chutney for dipping.

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