bhaji

noun

bha·​ji ˈbä-jē How to pronounce bhaji (audio)
variants or bhajia
plural bhajis or bhajias also bhajia
1
: an Indian food consisting of a small mass of chopped, battered vegetables that has been deep-fried
… the bulk of the bhaji should be onion, rather than dough.Felicity Cloake
On the street, outside the shop, a vendor was scooping out fresh bhajias from a wok.M. G. Vassanji
2
: a dish of Indian origin featuring fried or sautéed vegetables in a curry sauce
I sniff at the one-pot bhaji. Nothing too startling—potatoes, okra, some tomatoes, chick-peas; Mom doesn't believe in messing a whole bunch of pots.Rachna Gilmore

Examples of bhaji in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lunches and dinners were a time for our chef to show off a bit: turkey and leek pie with chips, mushroom and spinach risotto, chicken curry with bhaji and chutney. Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 25 July 2025 Aside from the freebies, enjoy dishes like pav bhaji sliders or crispy amritsari macchi fish and chips. Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi, Marathi, or Gujarati bhājī "fried greens, greens, vegetables," going back to Middle Indo-Aryan (Prakrit) bhajjiā- "fried vegetables," derivative of bhajjia- "fried," going back to Sanskrit bharjita-, verbal adjective from the root of bhṛjjati "(he/she) roasts" — more at fry entry 1

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bhaji was in 1832

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bhaji.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bhaji. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!