SHOPPING LIST: Cooking Skills: Vegetables 2, Chapter 5 (Fritters, Tempura and Crisps)

A heavy deep pan, a thermometer (useful, not essential) and a slotted spoon. About a litre of oil, kitchen paper, gram flour and cornflour. Wear gloves for the beetroot.

Courgette and sweetcorn fritters (2 portions)
[ ] 1 medium courgette, grated
[ ] 100 g sweetcorn (tinned, drained, or frozen and thawed)
[ ] 1 spring onion, sliced
[ ] 1 egg
[ ] 4 tbsp plain flour
[ ] 1 tbsp chopped herbs (mint, parsley)
[ ] 1 pinch salt and pepper
[ ] 2 tbsp oil, for shallow frying

Onion bhajis (4 portions)
[ ] 2 large onions, thinly sliced
[ ] 100 g gram (chickpea) flour
[ ] 1 tsp cumin seeds
[ ] 1 tsp ground coriander
[ ] ½ tsp turmeric
[ ] 1 green chilli, chopped (optional)
[ ] 1 handful chopped coriander
[ ] ½ tsp salt
[ ] 60 ml cold water, about
[ ] 500 ml oil, for frying (a third of the pan at most)

Vegetable tempura (3 portions)
[ ] 100 g plain flour (plus a little for dusting)
[ ] 100 g cornflour
[ ] 200 ml ice-cold sparkling or still water
[ ] 1 courgette, in sticks
[ ] 1 pepper, in strips
[ ] 100 g mushrooms or broccoli florets
[ ] 1 sweet potato, sliced 3 mm thin
[ ] 500 ml oil, for frying (a third of the pan at most)
[ ] 2 tbsp soy sauce, to dip
[ ] 1 tsp lime juice, to dip

Kale and beetroot crisps (2 portions)
[ ] 100 g curly kale, stalks removed, torn
[ ] 2 medium beetroots, peeled, sliced 2 mm thin
[ ] 2 tbsp oil
[ ] 1 pinch salt
[ ] ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)

For the experiments
[ ] 1 extra courgette, 2 extra onions
[ ] Extra plain flour and cornflour
[ ] A loaf of bread (for the bread-cube test)