Parveen The Spice Queen: Gluten-free Bombay Potato Cake

The mornings are lighter and the glow of bright yellow daffodils brightens our world. I know that summer is upon us as my kitchen calendar says ‘British Summer Time Begins’, so it must be true! Just jesting with you, but on a serious note, I think there is something quite reassuring about seeing those immortal words on my calendar. It always gives me a sense of optimism that winter’s coming to an end - knowing that spring is here and summer is on its way - or is it? Or is it the mini Beast from the East? Hmm, will we see our first white Easter? Having said that, weather usually plays an important part in what we decide to cook and eat. If it’s cold, we need warming, wholesome comforting food and when it is milder, we tend to go for more salad based dishes - but with this changeable weather what do we cook? Okay, enough about the weather, let’s talk about what I usually talk about, yep food.

May I suggest you try my Bombay potato cakes, perfect comfort food, with their spicy, fluffy potato filling and equally as perfect served with a lemon and coriander salad when it’s warmer. It’s a win win really. So, regardless of what the weather is like this bank holiday weekend, these little savoury potato cakes are the perfect little starter for your friends and family...Give them a go and I hope you all have a good - Good Friday.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium potatoes

2 medium onions, finely diced

1 tbsp of cumin powder

½ tsp of chilli flakes

A handful of chopped fresh coriander

3 tbsp vegetable oil (to Fry)

2 eggs - beaten

1 tsp of salt

METHOD

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Makes 15 to 18 cakes approx

1. Peel and dice the potatoes into 1cm cubes. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 10 mins.

2. Drain potatoes and roughly mash with a fork or potato masher.

3. Add the salt, chilli flakes, cumin, fresh coriander and onions. Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

4. In a bowl, beat the eggs until they have a fluffy consistency.

5. With damp hands, take approximately 2 tbsp of the potato mixture. Shape into patties, 6cm in diameter.

6. Gently take the potato cake and cover with the egg on both sides. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan and fry for 1 minute on each side until lightly golden brown.

For more recipes and Parveen’s cook book, go to www.ParveenTheSpiceQueen.com