MEDITERRANEAN FRITTERS

( Be bold and experimental. Use roughly shredded cabbage, capsicum, pak choy or baby corn instead of spring onions)

INGREDIENTS

1 heaped cup maida

Salt to taste

3 tomatoes, red and firm, chopped Green chillies according to taste, chopped roughly

Fresh mint a large fistful, chopped roughly

1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped 3- 4 spring onions, chopped along with the lusher greens

½ sachet fruit salt

A few flakes of tamarind

Oil for deep frying

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients, except the oil and the fruit salt, using very little water to bind them together. ( You may not need any water at all.) Add a little more maida if necessary. Just before frying, stir in fruit salt and mix well.

Heat oil with a few flakes of tamarind ( this is to prevent the oil from going rancid). Fry small spoonfuls, a few at a time. When batter begins to look firm, turn over and fry on all sides till a light ivory colour. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with two dips.

DIP 1: Mix loosely hung curds, cracked pepper, a large pinch salt, a large pinch chilli flakes, any remaining spring onion greens and chopped coriander leaves.

DIP 2: Toast and coarsely pound three tbsp white sesame seeds. Roast three red capsicums on an open fire till blackened. Remove skin, pith and seeds and chop. Grind to a coarse paste with pounded sesame, a little salt, a little chilli powder and a little pepper powder.