CUMIN AND COURGETTE FRITTERS

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I think of this as a brilliant base recipe – you can replace the courgettes with anything from prawns to squash, potato or onion. These fritters are delicious served with a cold beer on a hot day. Chickpea flour (called gram flour in India) is a brilliant gluten-free flour used all over the world in all sorts of dishes.

MAKES TWELVE

PREP & COOK: 10 MINS

250g (10oz) chickpea (gram) flour

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

2 courgettes

2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped

1 small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

vegetable oil, for frying

sea salt

Make a batter by carefully stirring about 400ml (¾ pint) cold water into the gram flour until it has the consistency of double cream. Mix the ground cumin seeds into the batter along with a good pinch of salt.

Using the coarse side of a grater, grate the courgettes into the batter, and add the chillies and coriander.

In a deep frying pan add vegetable oil to a depth of about 3cm (1¼in) and heat to about 180°C – you can test the temperature by dropping in a bit of bread; if turns golden in about 30 seconds, then the oil is at the right temperature.

Add small golf-ball-sized spoonfuls of the mixture, about 3 or 4 at a time, flatten a little with the back of a spoon and cook for 3 minutes on each side until the fritters are golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to drain on a piece of kitchen paper while cooking the remaining fritters. Sprinkle with salt before serving nice and hot.