Tiffin Time is anytime as far as I’m concerned.

Tiffin is any light meal or lunch, afternoon tea, pre-dinner snacks. I made pumpkin fritters, with part of the Crown Prince I opened up the other day, and we had them as a starter for dinner, and will have the rest of the mix today for lunch. I got the original recipe from  Madhur Jaffrey’s ‘World Vegetarian’ and adapted it by adding some South Indian flavours of Mustard seeds and Curry Leaves into the mixture. But it can be made using whatever you have to hand, like onion or fennel seeds. You could also make it with Courgettes or Summer Squash, just onions, whatever you fancy. Other variations are to add a finely chopped green chilli instead of cayenne powder and replace the sesame seeds with split urid dal. It’s a matter of experimenting with flavours and textures.

Pumpkin Fritters

Indian snack food is delicious, but why is it the best snack food is fried food?

Pumpkin Fritters ~ Kaddu ki bajjia

For the batter ~

• 2oz chickpea flour
• 2 oz rice flour
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

For the mix ~

• Vegetable oil for shallow frying
• 1 lb pumpkin flesh grated
• 1 onion finely sliced into half rings
• 1 ½ tbls sesame seeds
• 12 curry leaves chopped
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• Optional extras ~
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp onion seeds

Instructions ~

• To make the batter put the flours, the bicarbonate of soda. Turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt into a mixing bowl
• Slowly add approx. 200ml or 7floz of cold water into the bowl, and mix in until you have a smooth batter of medium thickness.
• I found I needed to add more water
• Heat the oil in a frying pan (it needs to be  hot)
• Give the batter mix a stir and then add the rest of the ingredients and mix in well
• Scoop a tablespoon sized amount (to make a patty about 2 or 3” long and ¼ to ½ “ thick) and place it in the hot oil
• Keep making the patties (or bajjais) and adding them to the oil.
• Cook each patty (bajjai) for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are a dark golden(reddish) brown and the mix and batter are thoroughly cooked
• When cooked, place them on a plate with some kitchen paper to soak up the excess oil

Best eaten when hot. Serve with pickles or raita or as we did with classic Indian Green Chilli Sauce (read nuclear green sauce)

Green Chilli Sauce