ONION FOR COLD RECIPES

Steps:

• Use a clean 1 quart glass jar for making syrup and storing.
• Layer small handful of chopped onions and about 1/8 cup sugar. Keep layering until jar is full. You can use more sugar if needed. The recipe-meister wanted a definite amount so I guesstimated at 1/2 cup for the whole thing. You just need to be sure that the individual bits of onion are well coated with sugar.
• When finished layering, just close up the jar, shake it up a bit so the onion is all coated and leave it on the kitchen counter. In about 2 hours the onions will have reduced by about half because the sugar pulled the water and the beneficial therapeutic compounds out of them.
• In 12 hours its done! You can begin using the syrup at this point. It will still be giving off syrup for two or three days, so that is when I remove the spent onion bits (they gave it all they've got! LOL) and put the jar of syrup away for when needed.
• Serve by the teaspoonful when needed for coughs and colds.

Steps:

• Soak the onion in cold water while you make the base mix. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the chilli powder, turmeric, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Mix in about 100ml of cold water to make a thick batter – add a splash more if it feels too stiff.
• For the raita, peel the cucumber and grate it into a sieve set over another bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients with some seasoning and the drained cucumber – squeezing out any extra moisture with your hands – then spoon into a small serving bowl.
• Drain the onion well and mix it into the batter. Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok or deep pan. Do not fill the pan more than a third full. Add a tiny speck of batter. If it rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles and starts to brown, then the oil is hot enough for frying.
• Lower heaped tbsps of the bhaji mixture into the pan, a few at a time, and cook for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly browned and crisp, so about 3-4 mins. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve with the raita.