Cabbage Bhajias/pakoras - Baked

Here is a another healthy makeover for pakoras or bhajias, with an unlikely but healthy ingredient like cabbage.
Although these bhajias were baked they came out nice and crispy without being saturated in oil.
Less mess, less calories and totally worth it!
If you have the ingredients on hand this is a quick treat to prepare for tea or when you have cravings for bhajias. Baking them removes the guilt associated with deep fried foods.

As always you can follow the recipe and deep fry the pakoras if you still prefer to do so, but do give baking a try if you are trying to reduce your calories or have to stay away from deep fried foods for health reasons

Ingredients

1/2 cabbage ( about 3 cups more or less)
1 small onion
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves (and stems)- washed
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
1 cup besan or chickpea flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1 level teaspoon ground jeera or cumin
1 level teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon chilly powder ( or more if you like it hotter)

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Put all the ground spices and dry ingredients in a large bowl

Mix well with a whisk to blend all the spices.  Keep aside.

Roughly chop the cabbage, onion and coriander

Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to the dry ingredients.  Add enough to get a nice smooth paste ( not runny and liquidy) . Now add the teaspoon of oil and mix well.

Add the vegetables to the batter and mix well so that all the vegetables are coated with the batter.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spray with a kitchen oil or lightly grease the sheet.
Drop spoonfulls of the batter onto the sheet leaving enough space between the bhajias so they do not touch each other.

Lightly spray the tops of the bhajias with the kitchen oil again.

Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Remove and flip over and bake another 5 minutes.  Watch so it does not burn. The bhajias should be nicely browned and crispy. Remove and eat with a nice hot cup of tea and some chutney.

Approximate nutritional value per bhajia based on 18 bhajias
Calories 36.5 / total fat .4 g/ total carbohydrates 6 g/ total protein 1.7 g