CARROT, PANEER AND ONION FRITTERS

Preparation 25 minutes, plus draining

Cooking about 30 minutes

Serves about 20 These vegetarian bites are delicious served alongside homemade curries. Try topping them with a fried egg for brunch or serve on their own as a starter.

300g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated 300g sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated 3 medium onions, thinly sliced 50g gram flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp milk small bunch coriander stalks (optional) 2 tbsp mango chutney 100g block paneer, coarsely grated 1 tsp nigella seeds, plus extra to serve sunflower oil, to fry natural yogurt, to serve

1 In a large bowl, toss together the carrot, sweet potato and onion with 1 tbsp salt. Transfer to a large sieve and set over the bowl to drain for 3 hours, squeezing out excess water halfway through. 2 Meanwhile, tip the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs and milk. Whisk until smooth. Chop the coriander stalks, if using, and add them to the batter with the chutney, paneer and nigella seeds. Whisk again until well combined, season and set aside. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the vegetables and mix them into the batter. 3 To deep fry, pour in enough oil to come one third of the way up a deep pan, and heat to 180°C or until a small piece of bread turns golden in 40 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, take a golf-ball-size amount of batter and lower it into the hot oil; fry for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway through. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the oil and drain on a baking tray lined with kitchen towel. Cook up to three at a time and repeat until the mixture is used up. Serve with yogurt and nigella seeds.