Sunday afternoons meant a plateful of bhajiyas – potatoes, chillies, onions, and sometimes bananas. Yep, crushed spiced banana bhajiyas are remarkably moorish, the sweetness colliding with a little chilli heat, makes it the perfect snack, along with a cup of chai.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
40g gram/chickpea floor
55ml water
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli finely diced
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
small handful chopped coriander
oil to deep fry

Method

1. Mix gram flour and water together to make a smooth batter.
2. Add garlic, chilli, turmeric, salt and coriander to the mixture.
3. Lightly mash up the bananas, and to the batter and mix everything together.
4. Heat oil in a medium size pan on a low-medium heat. Drop ½ a teaspoon of batter in to check it’s hot enough. If the batter sizzles and comes up in a few seconds, it’s ready.
5. Take a dessert spoon of the batter and gently add to the oil, using a teaspoon to help scoop off the dessert spoon. Add as many as you can fit in the pan, but making sure there’s enough space between them.
6. Fry the bhajiyas, turning once for around 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Using a metal slotted spoon, take the bhajiyas out, and place on a kitchen towel.
8. Continue until all the banana bhajiyas are done, there should be around 8 bhajiyas.

Serve straight away, or you can make in advance, and to reheat, I spread out on a baking tray pop into a hot oven for 10 minutes to warm up again.

For another gram flour recipe, try my Herby Socca.