michelle picker cooks

David made these spicy Indian style fritters and served them with a refreshing mint chutney.

In a large bowl mix together 2 eggs, 1 minced clove of garlic, ½ a cup of gram (besan, chickpea) flour and ½ a teaspoon each of ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, chilli powder and black onion (Nigella / Kalonji) seeds to make a thick batter. Shred or spiralise 1 large or 2 smaller zucchinis (courgettes) and add them to the batter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and mix well. Heat some oil in a frypan over medium heat and drop spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan. Fry until golden brown on each side.

This fresh mint chutney, from The Curry Cookbook by Charmaine and Reuben Solomon, adds brightness as well as cooling the spiciness. Use a high speed blender or small food processor to blitz together ½ a cup of fresh mint leaves, 3 spring onions, 1 fresh green chilli, ½ a teaspoon of garam masala, ½ a teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add a splash of water if necessary and serve with the hot zucchini fritters.