Broccoli Stalk and Carrot Bhajis

_INGREDIENTS:

• Leftover broccoli stalk and stems
• 1 large carrot
• 100g chickpea flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 green chili
• 75ml water
• Salt & Pepper
• 300ml vegetable oil for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut off the very bottom of the broccoli stalk as this is the toughest part. Then grate the remaining broccoli stalk and finely chop any stems/leaves. Grate the carrot.
2. Dice the chili and remove the seeds.
3. Place the grated carrot and broccoli into a bowl. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, green chili, chickpea flour and baking powder. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the mixture together. Pour in the water and mix well to combine. The mixture should easily stick together.
4. Pour oil into a deep pot and heat over medium heat. To check if the oil is ready add a small amount of mixture to the pot, if it floats then the oil is hot and ready.
5. Working in batches, carefully spoon small amounts of the mixture into the pot (you could wear an oven mitt to protect from any spitting oil!). Cook the bhajis for 3-4 minutes, turning them once or twice in the oil.
6. Once golden and crispy, remove bhajis from the pot and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.
7. Once all the bhajis are cooked, transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately with mint yogurt, aioli, or tamarind sauce.

TIP: No need to throw out your frying oil! Just wait for it to cool completely, then strain through a fine sieve to extract any leftover bhaji clumps. Pour strained oil into a jar or glass bottle to use again for more cooking adventures that week.