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

Spiced potato and pea fritters with sweet and sour chutney

Try this savoury Indian street food favourite for an afternoon snack or evening entrée.

Serves 12

Prep

40M

Cook

Total

41M

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