Name: Spiced potato and pea fritters with sweet and sour chutney
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 41 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 4 sebago potatoes (about 800gm), peeled, cut into 4cm pieces; 100 gm frozen peas; 6 garlic cloves, plus 1 finely chopped; 1-2 long green chillies, coarsely chopped, plus ½, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp finely grated ginger; 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying; 10 curry leaves, torn; 1 tsp brown mustard seeds; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1½ cups coriander, coarsely chopped (loosely packed); 1 spring onion, finely chopped; Juice of 1½ limes, plus extra wedges to serve; ½ cup (loosely packed) mint; 12 roti; Tamarind chutney; 6 medjool dates, stone removed, chopped; 80 ml tamarind concentrate (see note); 80 gm light palm sugar, crushed; 1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted, crushed; 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger; ½ tsp ground chilli; 1 tsp lime juice; Chickpea batter; 150 gm chickpea flour (also called besan flour) (1 cup); ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Vada pav, popular roadside snacks in India, are potato fritters served burger-style in a white roll; we’ve wrapped ours in roti. Don’t be shy with the condiments; add a dollop of thick natural yoghurt if you’d like to tone down the heat.

Ingredients

4 sebago potatoes (about 800gm), peeled, cut into 4cm pieces

100 gm frozen peas

6 garlic cloves, plus 1 finely chopped

1-2 long green chillies, coarsely chopped, plus ½, thinly sliced

2 tbsp finely grated ginger

2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying

10 curry leaves, torn

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1 tsp ground turmeric

1½ cups coriander, coarsely chopped (loosely packed)

1 spring onion, finely chopped

Juice of 1½ limes, plus extra wedges to serve

½ cup (loosely packed) mint

12 roti

Tamarind chutney

6 medjool dates, stone removed, chopped

80 ml tamarind concentrate (see note)

80 gm light palm sugar, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry-roasted, crushed

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

½ tsp ground chilli

1 tsp lime juice

Chickpea batter

150 gm chickpea flour (also called besan flour) (1 cup)

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Main

1.For chutney, soak dates in 200ml boiling water in a small bowl until soft (10-15 minutes).

2.Drain, reserving liquid, and process with remaining ingredients except lime juice in a food processor until smooth, adding a little reserved liquid until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick and darker in colour (10-12 minutes). Set aside to cool, then add lime juice and season to taste. Chutney will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.

3.Cook potatoes in a saucepan of boiling salted water until tender (25-30 minutes). Drain, set aside to steam for 5 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and mash until smooth. Set aside to cool. Blanch peas in boiling salted water until bright green (30 seconds), then refresh in iced water, drain, crush with a fork and add to potato.

4.Process garlic cloves, chopped chilli and 1½ tbsp ginger in a small food processor or pound with a mortar and pestle to a paste. Mix with mashed potato and peas.

5.Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add curry leaves and mustard seeds and fry until seeds pop (30 seconds to 1 minute). Remove from heat, add turmeric, stir to combine and add to potato mixture. Season to taste, add 1 cup coriander, spring onion and juice of 1 lime, and stir to combine. Divide into 12 patties and set aside on a tray lined with baking paper.

6.Preheat oil to 180C in a deep-fryer or deep saucepan. For batter, combine chickpea flour and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl, add 225ml water and whisk until smooth. Dip patties in batter, shake off excess, and deep-fry in batches (be careful, hot oil will spit) until golden and crisp (6-7 minutes).

7.Keep warm while repeating with remaining fritters. Combine mint and finely chopped garlic, thinly sliced green chilli and remaining ginger, coriander and lime juice in a bowl. Scatter herb mixture over fritters and serve with roti, lime wedges and tamarind chutney.

Tamarind concentrate is available from Asian grocers and select supermarkets.
Drink Suggestion: Skin-contact sauvignon blanc. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes

Styling by Alice Storey

Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

Main

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