Banana chilli filled with fenugreek, raisin and bitter gourd in a chickpea batter
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This vegetarian starter from Vivek Singh delivers the delicious tangy flavour of fenugreek mixed with the heat of banana chilli, while the chickpea batter adds crunch and textural interest. Serve with green pea pilau rice and the sauce on the side.
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Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Banana chillies
- 4 banana chillies
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Bitter gourd filling
- 2 bitter gourds, scraped, de-seeded and cut into thin slices
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1/4 turmeric powder
- ginger, 1/2 inch piece, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 2 tbsp of fenugreek seeds, sprouted
- 1 tbsp of raisins
- 1 potato, large, boiled, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- oil, for deep-frying
Chickpea batter
- 4 tbsp of chickpea flour
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ginger, 1 inch piece, chopped
- 1 tbsp of coriander, chopped
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250ml of sparkling water
Sauce
- 55g of cashew nuts, boiled with 110ml water then blended to make a paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 2 white onions, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, slit and cut in half
- ginger, 1 inch piece, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp of natural yoghurt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp mace
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, dried, soaked in water
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- oil, for deep-frying
Equipment
- Deep-fryer
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
2
Slit the chillies on one side and remove the seeds. Sprinkle over the salt and oil and roast in a hot oven for about 3–5 minutes until soft and pliable. Keep aside on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess moisture
- 4 banana chillies
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
3
Preheat a deep-fryer to 180°C
4
To prepare the filling, sprinkle salt on the bitter gourd and set aside in a strainer for approximately 15 minutes to drain out the liquid
- 2 bitter gourds, scraped, de-seeded and cut into thin slices
- 1/2 tsp salt
5
Deep fry the bitter gourd until crisp and place on kitchen paper to drain
- oil, for deep-frying
6
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the cumin seeds and when they start to splutter add the onion. Sauté until they are soft, then add the turmeric powder, ginger, green chillies, fried bitter gourd, fenugreek seeds and raisins. Stir for 2 minutes
- 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1/4 turmeric powder
- ginger, 1/2 inch piece, finely chopped
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 2 tbsp of fenugreek seeds, sprouted
- 1 tbsp of raisins
7
Stir in the potato, mix well and season with salt. Sprinkle the lemon juice and coriander leaves into the pan and remove from heat
- 1 potato, large, boiled, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
8
For the batter, mix all of the ingredients together until smooth. Cover and set aside
- 4 tbsp of chickpea flour
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- ginger, 1 inch piece, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of coriander, chopped
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250ml of sparkling water
9
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and add the bay leaf and cloves. Once they start to sputter, add the onions and sauté over a low heat so that they do not caramelise. Once the onions have softened, add the green chillies, ginger and turmeric powder and stir for 3–4 minutes
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, slit and cut in half
- ginger, 1 inch piece, chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
10
In a bowl whisk the boiled cashew nut paste and the yoghurt, add the mixture to the onions and keep stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Season with salt and sugar and cook for another 6–7 minutes until the fat separates. Finish the sauce with mace powder, cardamom powder and fenugreek leaves
- 3 tbsp of natural yoghurt
- 1/4 tsp mace
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp fenugreek leaves, dried, soaked in water
- 55g of cashew nuts, boiled with 110ml water to make a paste
11
Preheat the deep fryer to 180°C
- oil, for deep-frying
12
Divide the filling into 4 portions and use it to stuff each chilli. Dip the chillies in the batter and deep fry until crisp on the outside
13
Serve the chillies as a side with the sauce, some rice and a curry of your choice
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Banana chilli filled with fenugreek, raisin and bitter gourd in a chickpea batter
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