Heat the oil in a wok or large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. You need at least 3 inches of oil but do ensure the pan or wok is less than half full of oil as you don’t want it to bubble over.

Place the sliced onion in a bowl.

Add the minced ginger, chopped green chilli, cumin, ground coriander, dried coriander leaf, chilli flakes, ground fenugreek, salt, garlic salt, gram flour, cornflour (cornstarch), and the bicarbonate of soda.

Mix together to coat the onion.

Add in the water, a splash at a time, until you have a thick batter that coats the onion. You may not need all of the water.

Test the heat of the oil by dropping a little blob of the batter in the wok. It should sizzle and rise to the top.

Carefully add a rounded tablespoon of the onion bhaji mixture into the oil. I like to squeeze the mixture in my hand to compact it, then put it back on the spoon to lower it in the oil – this will help give you a uniform shape that doesn’t fall apart in the oil.

Repeat, so you have 4 or 5 bhaji’s frying at the same time (don’t add more than this as the oil may boil over and also too much mixture will cool the oil – resulting in greasy bhajis that aren’t as crisp).

Fry for 3-4 minutes until the coating is dark golden brown.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Repeat, frying further bhajis, until the mixture is used up.

You can keep cooked batches warm in a warm oven (approx. 130C/250F (fan)) whilst cooking the remaining bhajis.

Once all of the onion bhajis are cooked, place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh coriander.

Serve with sweet and sour or sweet chilli sauce.