Читать книгу Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape: 100 of my favourite Indian recipes - Gordon Ramsay - Страница 23

150g gram (or plain) flour

¹/₂ tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp toasted cumin seeds

75–100ml warm water

We are most familiar with onion bhajis here in the UK, and these aubergine fritters are a delicious alternative. The word bhajia, literally meaning ‘fried’, has been anglicised to the bhaji or bhajee that we recognise today. The fritters are made with a batter very similar to that used to make pakoras, but here it does not coat the main ingredient, instead the vegetable is finely chopped and mixed through the batter. You can try making the fritters with other vegetables such as courgettes, cauliflower or even okra.

First, make the batter by combining the flour, salt, turmeric and cumin seeds in a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water to get a thick batter with a slow-dropping consistency. Leave to stand for a few minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, turmeric, cayenne and black pepper. Sprinkle this over the aubergine and toss to coat. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pan and sauté the onion with a pinch of seasoning for 6–8 minutes until golden brown. Add the aubergine and cook for 3–4 minutes or until it has softened. Remove the pan from the heat and cool slightly.

Tip the aubergine and onion mixture into the batter and mix well. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting and heat 6cm of oil in a deep saucepan (or deep-fryer) to 180°C. Gently drop spoonfuls of the bhaji mixture into the hot oil and fry in batches for 4–6 minutes until evenly golden brown and crisp. Drain on a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm while you fry the rest. Serve hot and crisp with Sweet tamarind and Spicy green chutneys (see pages 217 and 215).