Makes 10-12
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 raw beetroot (about 250g/9oz), peeled and coarsely grated
- 50g (1¾oz) fermented cabbage (sauerkraut)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 75g (2½oz) gram flour
- 25g (1oz) cornflour
- 1½ tbsp curry powder
- 2 tsp nigella seeds
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
To serve
- 350ml (12fl oz) natural yoghurt
- ½ garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the cumin and coriander seeds and black peppercorns in a small pan and set them over a low heat. Toast for 1–2 minutes, until beginning to pop in the pan and smell fragrant, then tip them into a mortar and crush them.
Combine the beetroot, fermented cabbage, onion and garlic in a bowl with the flours, curry powder, crushed spices, nigella seeds and sea salt. Add
4–5 tablespoons of cold water and mix well with a wooden spoon – or with your hands if you don’t mind getting them red.
Pour the oil into a deep, heavy-based pan to a depth of 8–10cm (31⁄4–4in) and place over a medium–high heat. The oil should be hot but not overly hot, so that the beetroot and onion cook through without the outsides of the fritters burning. To test the temperature, drop a small pinch of the batter into the oil. It should fizz and bubble and crisp within 1 minute.
Take loose dessertspoonfuls of the mixture and drop them carefully into the hot oil. Fry, turning if necessary, for 1–2 minutes, until looking really crispy and delicious. Lift out the cooked fritters and transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. (You may need to fry them in two or three batches – don’t overcrowd the pan and bring the oil back
to temperature before frying each batch.)
To serve, first combine the yoghurt with the garlic, half the chilli, half the red onion and half the nigella seeds. Season the yoghurt with salt and pepper and stir well.
Spoon out the yoghurt over a plate. Arrange the fritters over the top and finish with a scattering of the remaining chilli, red onion and nigella seeds. Serve at once.
