Ramadan recipes: Courgette, chickpea fritters

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Updated 05 April 2024
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Ramadan recipes: Courgette, chickpea fritters

  • Fritter comes from the Late Latin word frictura, meaning to fry or to roast

Light, nutritious, flavorful, and delicious, fritter is a pancake-like dish made of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, or sometimes just dough, that is battered or breaded before being deep fried.

Fritter comes from the Late Latin word frictura, meaning to fry or to roast. Legend has it that the batter-fried dish emerged from Portugal and Spain and was introduced into Japan in the late 16th century.

Different countries around the world, including India, Indonesia, and South Africa, have invented their own fritter recipes using local ingredients.

Today’s recipe is an Indian version of courgette and chickpea fritters in which courgette is used as the main ingredient and is mixed with chickpea flour, herbs, and spices.

To make the dish, which is modified to be healthier, you need one large courgette, one raw egg, 60 grams of chickpea flour, one teaspoon of mixed dried herbs, quarter of a teaspoon of cayenne, salt, and black pepper.

First, shred the courgette into small, thin slices, squeeze out the excess water in a colander, and put it aside. In a small bowl, mix the chickpea flour, dried mixed herbs, cayenne, salt, and black pepper before adding the
egg, then add the courgetti.

Mix well.

Instead of a frying pan, prepare a baking tray with wax paper to make the fritters more healthy and less oily. Spread a bit of oil on the wax paper, low-fat oil or olive oil if preferred, put a tablespoon-sized amount of the mixture on the tray, and place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 12-15 minutes. Let it cool down a little before plating and serve hot.


Where We Are Going Today: Auria

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Updated 1 min 25 sec ago
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Where We Are Going Today: Auria

  • The restaurant itself is very spacious, offering seating on both sides of the dining area

Situated on the bustling Takhassusi Road, Auria offers a high-end dining and bakery experience in the heart of the capital.

The best way to describe the restaurant is modern and cozy, featuring dim lighting, comfortable seating, and attentive staff.

Before diving into the menu and recommendations, it is worth noting the restaurant’s no-children policy — a choice that feels somewhat unusual given that Riyadh is such a family-oriented city.

Those arriving with children under the age of 13, whether with a reservation or as a walk-in, can expect to be turned away and denied service.

The restaurant offers a fine-dining experience characterized by smaller, more refined portions at a higher price point.

Most starters range from SR55 ($15) to SR75, while the majority of main dishes fall between SR85 and SR135.

Among the starters, the highly recommended dishes include the crispy shrimp tempura — four pieces served with a zesty chili-yuzu mayo — and the lobster kari, which features prawns, cream cheese, and a vibrant coriander-jalapeno dressing.

Another top-rated starter is the grilled corn salad, a vibrant mix of avocado, citrus, and fresh herbs topped with caramelized nuts. The shrimp salad also makes for a refreshing beginning, though it remains a third-choice contender when compared to the standout corn salad.

Regarding the pasta, both the penne arrabbiata and the rigatoni pecorino felt somewhat standard. While well-executed, they were not quite as exciting as the rest of the menu.

For the main courses, there is a choice of several proteins, including sea bass, lamb, veal, chicken and steak. Of these, the most highly recommended are the grilled prime angus fillet and the veal al limone.

The steak was exceptionally tender and juicy, yielding easily to the knife, while the veal was light and buttery with a bright citrus finish.

We were warmly greeted with traditional Saudi coffee, and throughout our meal, our coffee cup was never allowed to run dry.

The restaurant itself is very spacious, offering seating on both sides of the dining area.

While the oversized, cozy chairs are a key attribute of the luxurious ambiance, they are quite heavy and difficult to adjust, often requiring the assistance of a server to help you slide in or out of the table.

In addition to the lunch and dinner service, the restaurant offers a breakfast menu which we have not tried yet.

While the no-children policy and the premium price point may be factors, the quality of the food and the quiet, upscale atmosphere make it a notable, under-the-radar destination in Riyadh.