Ottolenghi "Potato and buckwheat “bhajis”
80g kasha (toasted buckwheat)
About 90ml olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
50g golden raisins or sultanas, roughly chopped
270g courgettes (about 2 medium-sized ones), coarsely grated
270g potato (1 large one), coarsely grated
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
1 tbsp medium curry powder
1 tsp nigella seeds
3 tbsp cornflour
Salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges, to serve
You can make the batter for these vegan fritters in advance – a few hours or even a day ahead. Hold back on adding the salt and cornflour until just before frying. Makes 12 fritters.
Prep 8 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 6 as a snack or light starter
Half-fill a medium-sized saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the kasha, cook for six minutes, then drain.
While the kasha is cooking, heat two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and raisins, and fry for eight minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown and soft. Tip into a large bowl, add the kasha, courgette, potato, spices, cornflour, a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and stir to combine.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large, nonstick frying pan on a medium flame. Use two dessertspoons to form golf ball-sized pieces of the kasha mix, each weighing about 75g, then put three or four in the hot oil and flatten out to about 1.5cm thick. Fry for five minutes, until the edges have browned, then carefully turn them over and fry for another five minutes, until dark golden brown on both sides. Don’t be tempted to flip them too early, because they might fall apart. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate lined with kitchen towel, sprinkle with salt and keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining kasha mix, adding more oil as needed. This should make 12 bhajis.
Serve warm with a wedge of lemon alongside.