I have been looking for a different way to showcase fresh leeks and voila, this is it! These Crispy Leek Bhajiyas | Fritters are the best bhajiyas I have eaten, and they also make a fine finger food for a house party or game night!

It is no secret that I possess a deep love for deep-fried food…

This recipe is inspired by the classic Onion Bhajiyas that my mother used to make during the monsoons for us kids, when we returned wet and hungry from school. One bowl of these crispy onion bhajiyas would set us right for a happy evening. No fussing around to do homework!

Wonderful not only in pastas, soups, stock, risottos and sauces as flavour building blocks, but leeks can also be used as a starring ingredient to make snacks, like in these Crispy Leek Bhajiya | Fritters. Why so? because, when leeks are fried in hot oil, they become irresistibly crispy.

They have a mild sweet taste and can easily be substituted in place of onions in most applications, which is an easy way to shake up the regular South Indian onion bhajiya recipe.

This simple-to-prepare version features fresh leeks rather than brown onions. The other ingredients are pretty much the same as what my mother would use except for lime/lemon juice, for a little freshness. Also, my mum most often used chopped curry leaves as we had a tree growing at home, but in this recipe, I have used cilantro as a substitute.

Start giving leeks a little more love with these irresistible Crispy Leek Bhajiyas | Fritters. This is a must try during this winter and all year round!!

Bhajiya is a collective term for savoury, crispy, deep fried snacks. Bhajiyas are an Indian street-food classic, sold on station platforms and indeed on the trains. A bhajiya has a golden, crispy exterior and moist interior.

You may know these moreish delights in many names like, bhajje, bhaji, bhajis, bhajiya or bajia. You can see some of the best bhajiyas being fried in hot oil on the roadside in Bombay (now known as Mumbai), Mangalore and Udupi, ready to be devoured the minute they emerge, usually without a chutney or dip.

Bhajiyas are also one of the favourite snacks prepared in homes during monsoons in South India or throughout the year. They are deep fried in a spicy gram flour batter, the ingredients for which vary by region and household.

A good thing about bhajiyas is their versatility. In South India, they are typically made with thinly sliced vegetables such as onions, eggplant (brinjal), potatoes, sweet potatoes, tender green bell pepper (whole if small or thickly sliced if large), cauliflower (cut into florets) and spinach .

When we refer to bhajiya in South India, it is a beloved vegetarian deep fried snack served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a light meal or an all-day snack, served with steaming hot filter coffee aka kapi or kaapi, freshly brewed tea or coffee.

What is bhajiya in South India, is pakora | pakoda in North India. The difference between bhajiya and pakora | pakoda is that pakoras are made with meat, fish and vegetables including some sweeter versions, while bhajiyas are almost always made with vegetables.

As they grow, leeks get soil trapped between their layers, so it’s not enough to simply wash them. There are many ways to clean leeks, but for this recipe, follow these steps:

• Step 1: First cut off the green part where it starts to fan out from the white shaft. Do not trim the root end. Peel off any coarse outer layers. Slice the shaft in half lengthwise, keeping the root attached. Do not cut through the hairy roots.

• Step 2: Open out the leek like a fan and rinse under cold running water. Using your fingers gently dislodge any soil or sand and shake off any excess water. Slice into ½ cm thick half-moons until you get to 1cm to the base end. Discard the roots.

• Step 3: Place the half-moons into a bowl of cold water. Agitate with your hands, using a washing-machine motion. This ensures that if there is any residual soil, it will fall to the bottom and the leeks will float on top.

• Step 4: Remove leeks to a large tray lined with paper towels. We do not want too much moisture in the leeks, as the leeks tend to release some moisture once they come in contact with the salted batter.

• Step 5: Repeat these steps with the second leek, as we are using 2 leeks for this recipe.

The video below shows how to clean leeks, which will come in handy if you wish to make these Crispy Leek Bhajiyas | Fritters.

Crispy Leek Bhajiyas | Fritters

Although street food like this is typically made with onions, it is equally delicious with leeks.

In this recipe, leeks are the star ingredient. Their mild sweetness before cooking coupled with their crispy texture after frying makes them the perfect substitute for onions.

Here’s what goes into making the utterly scrumptious Crispy Leek Bhajiyas | Fritters:

• Leeks – Friendly cousin of garlic and onion. It is common to use onions to make these pakoras in India, but using leeks is my twist. Their sweet mild taste makes them a good substitute for these fritters.

• Chickpea flour | Besan | gram flour – Used as a binding agent in many snacks in India. Fine textured, gluten free, mildly nutty flour made from ground chickpeas and is pale yellow in colour. In this recipe, it binds the leeks with other ingredients and makes a perfect crispy coating when fried in hot oil. Find at: Indian shelf at large supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles in Australia. Also, at your local Indian supermarket, Harris Farm, and your local South Asian grocery store.

• Rice flour – The lack of gluten in rice flour, helps create a lighter crispier coating when deep fried and a less greasy final product. Do not sub with wheat flour as the gluten in wheat flour will create a chewy texture which is not ideal for this recipe. I use Erawan brand rice flour (it has red writing on the packet, as opposed to glutenous rice flour which has green writing) Find at: All large supermarkets like Coles, Woolworths and large South Asian supermarkets in Australia.

• Asafoetida/hing (optional) – In South India Asafoetida is added to most snacks and curries, as a flavour enhancer and to reduce flatulence. Chickpeas are complex carbohydrates and need help with digestion due to their increased gas production in the large intestine and it is believed that asafoetida is beneficial for digestion. Find at: All Indian grocery stores. Omit if you find it hard to source. Important: If you need gluten-free asafoetida, it’s crucial to check the label and choose a product that is specifically marked “Gluten Free” as many commercially available powdered asafoetida contain gluten.

• Cilantro/coriander leaves – For a good pop of fresh flavour and colour and complements these bhajiyas perfectly.

• Coriander and cumin seeds – Toast the seeds for maximum flavour but untoasted work well too. My mom added a tsp. each of toasted and crushed coriander and cumin seeds for a flavourful batter. Use a mortar and pestle or blend to a coarse textured powder but we don’t want the husks to interfere with the enjoyable eating experience. Alternative: ½ tsp. each of coriander and cumin powder. The flavour of powders is not that intense, but convenient and will compensate.

• Thai fresh Green chillies – Adds freshness and a little warmth. Deseed, if desired to reduce heat. The recipe calls for 2 but you may add 3, if you like the fritters extra spicy. Slice them into thin rounds to extract most flavour. Feel free to omit, if you are not a fan.

• Lemon juice – rounds up the bhajiyas/pakoras with freshness and a slight tang. Substitute: same quantity of lime juice.

• Warm water – Used to make the batter. We are looking for a pasty batter as a runny batter will not stick to the leeks.

• Oil for deep frying – Heat sufficient oil in a deep-frying pan over medium low heat. A piece of leek when dropped should rise to the surface immediately. Fry slowly in batches of 3 or 4 depending on the size of your pan. They should be a lovely golden colour (approx. 3 minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other side. They will cook a little more once they are removed from oil. Move and turn the pakoras as needed during frying. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a tray lined with paper towel. Make all the pakoras in the same way.