Saturday 4 December 2010
Baked Pumpkin and Onion Bhajis
We have so much squash and pumpkin in the house at the moment, and I am constantly looking for new ways to use it. Pumpkin/squash takes to curry flavours very well, so I made some bhajis to ward off the cold on a bitterly freezing night. I make no claims for authenticity, and please adjust spicing to suit. I had no 'gram' flour in the house, but plain flour worked just as well. This quantity made plenty for 2, and is probably fine for 4 as an accompaniment or starter. You slice 1 good-sized onion, fairly thinly, and peel and coarsely grate about 200g of butternut squash/pumpkin. If the squash flesh is a bit watery, squeeze handfuls dry with kitchen paper. Mix 2 eggs, 120g plain flour, some salt and pepper, a teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and turmeric, and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes or a finely chopped fresh red chilli. Now add the onion and squash and stir well. Heat the oven to 160 C fan and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat, then drop in tablespoons of the mixture, pressing down lightly to make a round cake. Cook for a minute or so and turn over. Cook for a further minute and then transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the mix, using a little extra oil if needed. You can 'hold' the bhajis like this for several hours, overnight even, or bake them straight away - 15 minutes from the frying pan, or 20-25 minutes from chilled. They should be lightly brown and 'singing' from the oven. Serve with yoghurt into which you have stirred some grated garlic, chopped mint, grated cucumber, chopped coriander - whatever takes your fancy. I like sweet chilli dipping sauce too!
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