Fried bhajia are a popular snack across India, and chef Preeti Mistry’s version makes the most of spring produce. They take scallions, onion, Napa cabbage, carrots, and sugar snap peas; slice the vegetables thinly (so they cook evenly); then batter and fry them until the bhajia are golden brown. “I can’t think of any food that screams Indian party food more than hot crispy bhajia,” they say.
A few tips: Don’t skip the baking powder in the batter! This keeps the bhajia light, even as they start to cool off. To avoid making a soupy mess, add the flour mixture to the veg in batches, instead of dipping the veg into a wet batter. Resist the temptation to form the bhajia batter into balls, Mistry advises. Keeping the batter in flat disks lets more surface area come into contact with the hot oil, giving the fritters lots of sharp, pokey edges and crispy bits.