Gram Flour Chips

Ingredients:
15ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing and deep-frying
5ml cumin seeds
15 fresh curry leaves
5ml ground turmeric
15ml finely minced ginger
½ green chilli, finely chopped
½ bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
200g gram flour or chickpea flour
600ml water
2ml salt
2ml freshly ground black pepper
5ml nigella seeds
30-50ml polenta meal

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the spices, ginger, chilli and coriander and cook for a few minutes until aromatic.

Sift the gram flour into a bowl, then whisk in the water until smooth.

Pour the paste into the saucepan, add the salt and pepper and stir over a moderate heat with a wooden spoon or spatula for 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan (the process is similar to making firm polenta, but the gram flour takes a little longer to thicken).

Grease a small oven tray and sprinkle with the nigella seeds and a little polenta. Pour over the gram flour mixture, cover with a piece of greaseproof and quickly flatten out the mixture. Chill in the fridge until the mixture has hardened.

Preheat a deep-fat fryer to180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)

Carefully turn the hardened gram flour mixture out onto a chopping board and cut into chips. Dust the chips with polenta meal.

Deep-fry the chips for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.