Name: Baked bottle gourd fritters
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 large (or 2 smallish) bottle guard; 2 medium eggs, whisked; ½ tsp black onion (Nigella) seeds; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground coriander; ½ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp chilli powder; 1 clove of garlic, minced; ½ cup gram (besan, chickpea) flour; Splash of water; Salt and pepper; 2 tsp vegetable oil

Baked bottle gourd fritters

18 Apr 2018

by Wholeness

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Total Time

35 minutes

Background

Bottle gourd - or calabash - is a very healthy vegetable, ideal for making bhajis. My version is baked, so it’s less greasy and more healthy. For these (free from gluten & dairy) baked bottle gourd fritters I used my spiralizer, but if you don’t have one, just shred or coarsely grate the bottle gourd. Serve it as a snack or appetiser with a spiced dip. It’s ideal for picnics and parties too!

Ingredients

1 large (or 2 smallish) bottle guard
2 medium eggs, whisked
½ tsp black onion (Nigella) seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp chilli powder
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ cup gram (besan, chickpea) flour
Splash of water
Salt and pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking trays with baking parchment.
Mix all the ingredients, apart from the bottle gourd, in a large bowl to form a thick batter. Add a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper.
Peel then sprialize into noodles, or shred finely, the bottle gourd. Season with salt and pepper. Add this to the batter. Toss well.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking tray, flattening them with the back of the spoon.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden, flipping the fritters halfway.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

This batch of fritters had a bit too much batter on them. If you want them more crispy & less doughy, add the batter gradually to the shredded vegetable, while tossing until you get the desired coating.