This is a variation on Indian vegetable fritters made with chick pea flour batter. These are a little simpler and nice with either of the following dipping sauces. One is a cheat's quick mint sauce , the other a more traditional yoghurt and cucumber sauce.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup red lentils
• 2 onions, peeled and grated
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 large potato, peeled and grated
• 1½ cups chick pea flour
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, coriander, garam masala, ground pepper and salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup water

Method

1. Soak lentils in lots of cold water for 4 hours. Drain well through a sieve.
2. Mix together lentils, onion, carrot, potato, chick pea flour, spices, baking powder, coriander, egg and water in a bowl to form a stiff dough. Season well.
3. Heat oil to 180ºC. Drop about eight teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown. They will float to the top when cooked and should be even in colour.
4. Remove from the hot oil with a slotted psoon and drain well on absorbent paper. Keep warm in a low oven while cooking the remainder of the bhajis. Serve with dipping sauces.
5. Cucumber and mint dipping sauce
6. Peel and deseed half a telegraph cucumber. Grate the flesh and mix with 2 tablespoons of chopped mint and 1 cup of plain non-fat yoghurt.
7. Cheat's mint dipping sauce
8. Warm a cup of bought mint-jelly and mix it with a quarter cup of clear apple juice.