Ingredients
Onion
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 12 sections but only with in ¼ inch of root base.
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
2/3 cup corn starch
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground mace
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil for deep frying
Makhani
6 to 8 tomatoes, chopped and seeded – about 3 cups
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
6 shallots, chopped
8 garlic gloves, minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 inches of fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons Natures Balance “butter”
3 tablespoons of almond milk, unsweetened or coconut milk
2 tablespoons of fresh grated turmeric
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon of garam masala
handful of Cilantro, chopped and stems removed
Salt to taste
Directions
Place the flour and spices in a bowl, whisk to combine
In another bowl whisk together the cornstarch, lemon juice and water together to form a paste.
Place onion on a large plate, then pour ½ the cornstarch mixture over onion and using your fingers message the mixture into the section, making sure all surfaces are covered. Next dredge the onion in the dry ingredients, making sure to get all surfaces. Now repeat the steps a second time. Note: I use a basting brush to brush on the cornstarch mixture the second time.
Place deep sauce pan filled with oil over medium high heat. Once the oil reaches 365 degrees, place onion, base side down and fry until golden brown. Spoon over top if the onion is not completely covered. Remove and place on a cooling rack to let the oil drip off.
Now for the sauce, place the “butter” into a skillet over medium heat, once it melts add the shallots, ginger, turmeric and chilies. Sauté for 2 minutes, then added the tomatoes, garlic and nuts, sauté for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes, then pour into a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain, and return to skillet and add the remaining ingredients and sauté until warmed through.
Pour into a serving dish and place the onion in the middle, base down, garnish with cilantro.