The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Onion Bhaji, Creamy Dal & Cucumber Salad
An Indian street food classic – and it’s easier to make than you think. Mix chickpea flour, lime juice and spiced onions, then pan-fry until deliciously crisp. Dish up with a ginger and garlic-infused lentil dal and cooling cucumber salad.
1/3 daily fibre
10 plants
Serving size
Ingredients
- 8 tsp ginger & garlic paste (Ginger puree IQF, Garlic puree IQF, Citric Acid, Water)
- 2 tbsp curry powder (Turmeric Ground, Coriander Ground, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Ground Fenugreek, Fennel Seed, Chilli Powder, Pepper Black Ground, Salt)
- 8 tbsp chickpea flour (chickpea flour (100%))
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds (Mustard)
- 1 cucumber
- 200g baby tomatoes
- 80g baby spinach
- 200ml coconut milk (Coconut, Water)
- 30g cashew nuts (Nuts)
- 3 onion
- 240g red split lentils (red split lentils (100%))
- 1 unwaxed lime
Nutritional Information
Calories: 519
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 55g
Fat: 24g
Onion Bhaji, Creamy Dal & Cucumber Salad
An Indian street food classic – and it’s easier to make than you think. Mix chickpea flour, lime juice and spiced onions, then pan-fry until deliciously crisp. Dish up with a ginger and garlic-infused lentil dal and cooling cucumber salad.
Getting hungry?
Find 56 recipes a week just like this one at Mindful Chef, that are all:
Delicious, high quality food - and lots of it
No stodgy refined carbs - no food comas here
Goodness from natural food - full of fibre
Cooking Instructions
- Quarter the tomatoes. Heat a large saucepan with 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add half the mustard seeds, half the curry powder and half the ginger & garlic paste. Cook for 1 min, then add the coconut milk, lentils, half the tomatoes and 400ml water. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Simmer for 15-20 mins, until the lentils are soft. Add more water for a looser texture, if desired.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions. Heat a large frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the remaining mustard seeds and curry powder, cook for 30 seconds, then add the onions. Cook for 3 mins, until softening. Add the remaining ginger & garlic paste and cook for 2 mins.
- Quarter the lime. In a small mixing bowl, mix the flour, juice from 2 lime wedges, 5 tbsp cold water and a pinch of sea salt. Stir until a thick paste forms. Add the cooked onions and mix to combine.
- Reheat the frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. When the pan is hot, spoon the onion mixture into the pan to make 8 fritters. Cook for 4 mins, each side, flattening with the back of a spoon, until golden and crispy. Cook in batches, if necessary.
- Make the salad; dice the cucumber into 1cm cubes. Place into a bowl and mix with the remaining tomatoes, juice from the remaining lime and a pinch of sea salt. Roughly chop the cashews. Rinse the spinach.
- Stir the spinach into the dal to wilt. Then, serve in bowls with the onion bhaji, cucumber salad and cashews on top.
Looking for more recipe inspiration?
Subscribe to our newsletter and get delicious seasonal inspiration and recipes, plus 25% off your first 4 boxes with us!
By signing up to our mailing list you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.