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: Yashi

Updated 04 February 2026
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Where We Are Going Today: Yashi

Located in Jeddah’s Mohammadiyyah district, Yashi offers a menu focused on Asian staples, from ramen and noodles to dumplings and curry.

The interior reflects its theme, with decor inspired by Asian motifs and a warm, inviting atmosphere that encourages diners to stay longer.

I started with a few light appetizers, including the surimi salad with sesame sauce and crispy rice with shrimp. Both were executed as described, the textures worked as expected and, most importantly, the flavors stayed on the traditional side. The kimchi wagyu taco is another dish worth trying, offering a subtle layer of heat. 

The menu may be simple and limited in offerings, but I chose to try three ramen dishes for the mains. The tom yum ramen featured slow-cooked chicken broth with grilled shrimp, fresh noodles, vegetables, and a soy-marinated egg.

The broth had a clear balance of tang and spice, though the shrimp could have been slightly more prominent in flavor. Secondly, the yuzu ramen, with grilled chicken and enoki mushroom tempura, features a yuzu-infused broth that adds a light citrus note, offering a unique flavor not found elsewhere in the city. 

The shoyu ramen, with wagyu beef slices in a 12-hour slow-cooked broth, offered tender meat and a flavorful broth. I also tried the spicy noodles with Chinese chili oil and wagyu beef. The heat was noticeable but manageable, and the bok choy added a fresh element to the dish.

A highlight is that the chili oil used in the noodles is available for purchase at the restaurant, allowing you to take a taste of Yashi home. 

Dumplings, including shrimp and beef gyoza, were prepared cleanly, with a solid filling-to-wrapper ratio. For dessert, the mango sticky rice was consistent with expectations, with the mango adding a fresh, fruity note to the dish.

The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday and is worth a visit.