Method

First make the chutney. Place the chopped dates, tamarind paste, soy sauce, ground chilli, lemon juice and 250ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, at which point the dates will be nicely softened. Remove from the heat, add the tahini, and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Loosen with a little extra water if desired, to reach your preferred dipping consistency; set aside.

For the bhajis, place 2 tbsp canola oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, garlic and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes until golden and fragrant, then transfer to a large bowl. To the bowl, add the chickpea flour, chilli, turmeric, coriander, black pepper and salt, and whisk to combine. Add the lemon juice and 250ml cold water, and mix together to form a smooth, relatively thick batter. Add the chopped onion weed and stir through the batter to coat.

To cook the bhajis, heat 2-3cm of canola oil in a medium high-sided frying pan or Dutch oven (24 or 26cm) over medium heat. You want the oil to reach about 175°C – you can measure this with a thermometer or by dropping a blob of batter into the oil: if it sizzles, floats, and starts to brown, the oil is ready. Line a large plate with a paper towel and place beside your frying station. Once the oil is at temperature, place large tablespoons of the batter in the hot oil. Fry in batches of 4-5 at a time, for about 2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove the bhajis from the oil with a slotted spoon and place in a single layer on the paper towel-lined plate to allow any excess oil to drain. Repeat until all the batter has been cooked, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature. 

Serve the bhajis warm, with the chutney for dipping.