Prep and cook time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients
75g chickpea flour 75g plain flour
1 x 5ml spoon turmeric 1 x 5ml spoon cumin
½ x 5ml spoon paprika or Chilli powder
250ml water ½ level 5ml spoon of salt
1 small cucumber 50ml soured cream
2 lemons, 1 cut into wedges Splash of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground Black pepper 1 leek
2 carrots 3 spring onions
2 red onions 100g rocket
150ml vegetable oil for frying A pinch of mustard seeds
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
A small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Method
Place the flours and ground spices in a bowl and slowly pour in the water, stirring
all the time with a wooden spoon or a whisk to make a bright yellow batter. Stir in
the salt, and then put to one side. Peel strips off the cucumber with a potato
peeler and keep to one side. Mix the soured cream with the coriander and the
juice of 1 lemon. Add the olive oil, season, and put to one side. Slice the
vegetables into thin strips - try to get them the size of long matchsticks. Mix with
the chillies and ginger, and set aside. Pour the oil into a large non-stick frying pan
and heat until very hot. Mix the vegetables, a little at a time, with some of the
batter, add a pinch of mustard seeds and drop a 15ml spoon of the mix into the
hot oil. Repeat with the remaining mix - you may have to fry the bhajis in batches.
Press the bhajis down with the back of a fork and make sure they aren’t touching
each other or they might stick together. Fry for a minute or so on each side until
crispy, then drain on kitchen paper.
Arrange 2 or 3 bhajis on each plate with some rocket leaves and the cucumber
strips, drizzle with the dressing and serve with the lemon wedges.
