Swahili food made easy: Bhajia with coconut chutney

Ingredients

For bhajia:

6 large potatoes (par-boiled, peeled and chopped and thinly sliced)

2 cups of garam flour

1 table spoon of garlic and ginger paste

½  teaspoon of coriander powder

¼  teaspoon of cumin powder

¼  teaspoon of chilli powder

A sprig of dhania (chopped)

1 ½  cups of water

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly. Put in a sufuria and cover with cold water. Leave to cook until the water just boils.After slightly cooling, peel and slice them

2. In a bowl, add the garam flour, salt, dry spices and mix well.

3. Add the garlic and ginger paste and dhania and mix well.

4. Add the water gradually until you achieve a pancake-batter-like consistency.

5. Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes.

6. Place a karai over a medium-high flame. Add oil for deep frying and allow to heat up. To test if the oil is hot enough, take some of the bhajia batter and drop some into the oil. if the batter rises up to the top immediately, your oil is ready.

7. Dip the sliced potatoes in the barter and then the oil. Cook until the batter is a deep yellow colour. The bhajia needs to be kept an eye on as they can burn easily.

8. Once cooked, place the ready bhajias on a serviette lined plate or container and repeat the process until all the potatoes and bhajia barter is finished.

For the coconut chutney:

1 cup of freshly grated coconut

1 small onion, roughly chopped

½  teaspoon of crushed garlic

6 green chillies

Salt to taste

Procedure:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend into a paste. Add a little bit of water if the mixture is a bit dry, but the coconut holds enough water.

2. Serve with the hot bhajias and enjoy

Bhajias are a great upgrade from regular chips. They are a comfort food and very easy to make.