1 large tomato, seeds discarded, chopped into 0.5cm cubes
30g ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 green chilli, seeds included, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
25g fresh coriander, finely chopped
25g dill fronds, finely chopped
700ml sunflower oil, to deep-fry
For the mango pickle
3tbsp olive oil
10 fresh curry leaves
3/4tsp black mustard seeds
1/2tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 plum tomato, blitzed into a puree
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2tsp fine sea salt
1 large ripe mango, cut into 1cm cubes
200g Greek yoghurt or non-dairy alternative
Method
Combine the flours, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl and whisk well to get rid of any lumps. Put the red onion, tomato, ginger, chilli, spring onions and herbs in a separate bowl and mix to combine. Add the vegetable mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour in 170-190ml water and whisk to make a fairly thick batter. Leave at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the mango pickle. Add the olive oil to a medium frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the curry leaves and fry, stirring constantly, for 30-60 seconds until they start to turn translucent. Add the mustard seeds and chilli powder andcook for 30 seconds more until the seeds just start to pop. Stir in the tomato, garlic, vinegar and salt and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for around 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the tomato visibly separates from the oil. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then stir in the mango.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Pour the oil in a medium, high-sided pan (to no more than half-full) set over a medium-high heat and heat until a small spoonful of batter dropped in sizzles but does not colour immediately. Use two dessertspoons to carefully drop a large spoonful of batter into the oil, spreading it to get maximum surface area. The fritter will rise to the surface and puff up. Fry five or six at a time, for around 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through, adjusting the heat if they brown too soon – it’s fine for them to be different sizes and shapes. Transfer them to the lined tray as you cook.
Put the yoghurt in a bowl and spoon the mango pickle over. Arrange the fritters on a platter or shallow bowl and serve warm or at room temperature with the yoghurt and pickle.
Recipes and photographs taken from Lugma by Noor Murad, photography by Matt Russell (Quadrille, £28)
