5 WAYS TO SAVOUR A LONG WEEKEND
Lots of lovely homemade goodies for you to try. By Hilary Biller, pictures: Christoph Hoffman
1. SNACK ONION, SPINACH AND CORIANDER BHAJIS WITH CHILLI TOMATO SALSA (CHILLI BITES)
Makes about 20-24
Nuggets of deliciousness, crisp on the outside, packed full of veggies in a spicy dough on the inside. If you don’t fancy onion, use extra spinach and coriander or replace spinach with cubes of brinjal or baby marrow. A little mixture goes a long way and because they will be gobbled up quickly, the recipe can easily be doubled, except for the baking powder — add 5ml (1 tsp) instead of 10ml (2 tsp).
Batter:
125g (250ml) flour
10ml (2 tsp) baking powder
5- 7.5ml (1 - 1½ tsp) chilli powder
3ml ground turmeric
7.5ml (1½ tsp) ground cumin
5ml (1 tsp) salt
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
125ml (½ cup) water
2 large onions, sliced thinly
250ml (1 cup) torn spinach or baby spinach, 125ml (½ cup) chopped fresh coriander, Oil for deep frying
Salsa:
1 large firm red tomato, cut into cubes 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely sliced 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
A handful of fresh coriander, chopped Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sift the dry ingredients and spices into a large mixing bowl. Combine the beaten eggs and water. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add half the egg mixture, mixing through. If too thick, add more egg mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter.
Add the onions, spinach and coriander and mix through the batter.
Preheat the oil in a large pan until a square of bread dropped into the oil browns in seconds. Drop tablespoons of mixture into the hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
Just before serving, make up the salsa by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with bhajis.