Free Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson

rings.
    Dredge the onion slices in the batter until evenly coated. Let any excess batter drip off, although you want as much of the batter as possible to stay on the onion. Use a candy thermometer to read the heat of the oil. You can also test if the oil is ready by dredging a piece of bread in the batter and dipping it in the oil. If it sizzles immediately and begins to brown, the oil’s ready, if not, continue to heat the oil. If the bread burns, take the pan off the heat and let the oil cool down a bit.
    Working in batches, use tongs to place them one by one in the hot oil. Do not crowd or overlap. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and tender, turning once or twice as necessary, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining onion rings. The oil temperature will fluctuate, cooling down slightly as you add new batches, and heating up as it sits on the heat, so carefully monitor the oil between batches. Add more oil to maintain at least 4 inches in the pot, making sure to get it back up to temperature betwen batches. Season with additional salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Crispy Chickpea Onion Rings
    You can never have too many onion ring recipes,
as each one can offer something a little different. These delicious smoky-flavored onion rings are dipped in a chickpea batter, which gives them a crisp exterior and a sweet, soft middle. They are gluten-free, too.
    MAKES 4 SERVINGS
    4 to 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (or as needed)
    1 cup chickpea flour
    1 ¼ teaspoons garlic salt
    Â¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
    Â¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
    Â¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sparkling water
    1 very large red onion, preferably sweet
    4 to 6 cups vegetable oil for frying (or as needed)
    In a large, deep pot or Dutch oven, pour enough oil to completely submerge the onion rings, about 3 to 4 inches in a medium-sized pot, and heat to 365°F.
    In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, garlic salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Slowly add the sparkling water, whisking just until smooth. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes. If the batter is too thick, you can add another drop or two of sparkling water. The batter should be the consistency of a pancake batter (not too thin or too thick).
    Dredge the onion slices in the batter, until evenly coated. Let any excess batter drip off, although you want as much of the batter as possible to stay on the onion. Use a candy thermometer to read the temperature of the oil. You can also test if the oil is ready by dredging a piece of bread in the batter and dipping it in the oil. If it sizzles immediately and begins to brown, the oil’s ready, if not, continue to heat the oil. If the bread burns, take the pan off the heat and let the oil cool down a bit.
    Working in batches, use tongs to place them one by one in the hot oil. Do not crowd or overlap the onions. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and tender, turning once or twice as necessary, about 1 to 2 minutes or each side. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining onion rings. The oil temperature will fluctuate, cooling down slightly as you add new batches of onion rings to the hot oil, and heating up as it sits on the heat, so carefully monitor the oil between batches. If the oil level looks like it’s getting low, you can add more oil as necessary so that you have at least 4 inches of oil in the pot, making sure to get it back up to temperature between batches. Season with additional garlic salt, if desired, and serve hot.
    Chickpea flour is the same as garbanzo bean flour. It can also be found labeled as besan flour in Indian grocery stores as well. Chickpea flour is gluten-free, making it a perfect choice for those who avoid gluten in their diet. The flour is rich in protein, and has a rich, slightly sweet flavor.

Vampire Fries
    I can’t imagine ordering at a diner without
a side of fries.