Cauliflower and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Ingredients

For the vegetables

• oil, for deep frying
• 1 head of broccoli, broken into florets
• 1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthways
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1 cm dice
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into small dice
• 2.5 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ sugar
• juice of ½ lemon
• a few fresh coriander leaves

For the batter

• 300 g cornflour
• 150 ml white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted and ground
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

Firstly, put the cornflour in a bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients to make a thick batter. Set aside.

Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer or a deep, heavy-based saucepan.

Dip the broccoli and cauliflower florets in the batter, letting the excess drip off, and deep-fry for about 3 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and keep hot.

Heat the oil in a large kadhai, wok or heavy-based frying pan until smoking point. Add the curry leaves and garlic, onion, chillies and peppers and stir-fry  on a high heat for 2 minutes.

Add the fried broccoli and cauliflower, ginger, salt and sugar and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes.

Squeeze in the lemon juice and sprinkle with the fresh coriander.

Serve with steamed rice.