Читать книгу Rose Elliot’s New Complete Vegetarian - Rose Elliot - Страница 84

These crisp tasty morsels make a tempting starter or nibble. They’re great with mango chutney, tomato salsa or cucumber and coriander raita; or add some hot cooked rice to make a light main course.

MAKES 8 / SERVES 4 AS A STARTER, 2 AS A MAIN COURSE

350g (12oz) sweet potato

1 onion, very finely chopped

125g (4oz) chickpea flour

1 tsp dried red chilli flakes

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Peel and grate the sweet potatoes, then put into a bowl and add the onion, chickpea flour, chilli flakes, baking powder, salt and coriander. Mix well; as you mix, the moisture from the vegetables will be drawn out and will bind everything together. Add a tablespoonful or so of water only if the chickpea flour remains dry.

Heat enough oil in a medium-sized saucepan for deep-frying. (The pan needs to be half full of oil.) When the oil reaches 180°C (350°F), or a cube of bread rises to the surface and turns golden brown in under 1 minute, put in 3–4 dessertspoons of the mixture, depending on the size of your pan. Don’t make the bhajis too big – they’re best when light and rather straggly and gorgeously crisp – and don’t crowd the pan, otherwise the oil will cool and the bhajis will stick together. Deep-fry the bhajis for about 4 minutes or until crisp, brown and cooked right through, then remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep the bhajis warm in a low oven or under a warm grill while you cook the rest of the mixture.

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