Friday, August 31, 2007

Courgettes Fried In Chickpea Flour Batter



From reading blogs I'm getting the sense that this is the time of year (in the Northern hemisphere) when people become inundated with courgettes (zucchini). Mind you, no one has been over here offering to share the bounty (ahem) but I took my puny supermarket courgettes (that I paid for, "ahem" again hint, hint) and came up with what I think is a really excellent batter for frying.

My first thought was to coat them in seasoned breadcrumbs but then I remembered I had chickpea flour on hand (available in Middle Eastern markets and some health-food stores). This recipe will make about two cups of batter which is probably more than you will need for a couple courgettes-so go ahead and try it on some red onion slices and any other vegetables you have laying about. I did not make a dipping sauce but I'd think a plain yoghurt and dill mixture would be complimentary.

You Will Need:

2-3 small courgettes (or of course, if you have it a giant one).
2 large eggs
¾ cup light cream (half and half) possibly more to thin
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons melted butter
¾ cup chickpea flour
Oil for frying

Cut the courgettes and pat dry.

Mix the eggs, cream, cheese, salt, pepper, butter and flour in a measuring cup and then pour into either a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. At this point, let the mixture stand about twenty minutes. It will thicken quite a bit, so you may need to add more cream to thin it until you have a good batter consistency. You want to be able to dip the courgettes and let the excess run off the end-if it is too thick to drip, keep adding cream (or milk).

Heat the oil. Over medium heat, fry the courgettes, turning once when browned. Drain and serve immediately.

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