It’s the AGM of the local residents’ association and finger food is required. Time to challenge the neighbours’ taste buds. I had never cooked with kasha before. It is roasted buckwheat and used in Russian and Polish cooking. Buckwheat in its raw state is basically a gruel. I remember gruel from children’s books with stories of old ladies living in forests. Anyway, it’s gluten-free, tastes good and, in a trial run, these bhajias were declared a success. Using up courgettes is always a challenge.

Bhajias make a great starter served with a few green salad leaves and a mint and cucumber raita.

80g roasted buckwheat (kasha)
Olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
50g sultanas, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and coarsely grated
2 medium courgettes, coarsely grated
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
1½tsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp nigella seeds
3 tbsp gram flour (or cornflour)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon cut into six wedges to serve.

Cook the kasha in boiling water for six minutes. Drain.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion and sultanas and fry for about eight minutes or until golden brown and soft. Turn into a large bowl and add the roasted buckwheat, courgette, potato, spices, salt, pepper and gram flour. Mix well.

Pour about two tablespoons of olive oil into a non stick pan and heat. Using a dessert spoon, form the bhajia mixture into balls and flatten them a little before frying in the oil. The mixture is quite moist and sticky; you may want to use a floured surface to help form the balls and certainly hands and utensils need frequent rinsing but it isn’t a difficult procedure once you have the knack. Fry the bhajias in batches cooking them for five minutes on each side (don’t turn them too soon or they will break). When cooked, keep them warm in a dish lined with kitchen paper. You may need to add extra oil between cooking the batches.

Serve warm with lemon wedges on the side.

Update early autumn 2023

I have used this recipe several times recently as the courgettes keep surprising me with a bountiful harvest. One important change I have made in preparing the bhajias is to squeeze the grated potato and courgettes in a clean tea towel to remove excess liquid before adding them to the other ingredients.

It is a recipe which also works well using other vegetables. Replacing the courgettes with cauliflower has been a great success. Barberries (which will not need to be fried) are a good substitute for sultanas and give a fresh flavour.