Cauliflower Bhajis with Yogurt Dip

Ingredients

Contains: egg, milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 onion, sliced
• butter
• ½ tsp each ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger and cardamom seeds
• groundnut oil or vegetable oil for frying
• 100ml milk
• 1 tsp saffron
• 160g gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 200ml natural yogurt
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¼ small cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and finely chopped
• handful mint, chopped
• handful coriander, chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely diced

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Warm the milk gently in a small pan until hot but not boiling, remove from the heat, and stir in the saffron. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Stir in the cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger and cardamom seeds and cook for 1 minute.

3. Put the cauliflower florets in a pan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes until just tender. Drain well and leave to cool slightly.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the gram flour, beaten egg and saffron milk into a thick batter. Stir in the cooked cauliflower, the spiced onion and the red chilli until evenly coated.

5. Heat about 2 cm of groundnut or vegetable oil in a deep, heavy pan to 350°F (175°C). Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per batch, turning once, until deep golden and cooked through.

6. Drain the bhajis on kitchen paper. Keep warm while you cook the remaining batches.

7. For the yogurt dip, mix the natural yogurt, lemon juice, chopped cucumber, mint and coriander in a bowl. Spoon into a serving dish and serve alongside the warm bhajis.