Butternut Squash and Onion Bhaji Canapés

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1 butternut squash
  • 4 medium sized onions, peeled, quartered and cut into half cm wide strips
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • a generous pinch of salt
  • 4 heaped tbsp gram flour (chickpea flour), or buckwheat or just plain flour if you can't get either of those
  • 2 to 4 tbsp cold water
  • some sunflower oil for drizzling
  • 6 tbsp mango chutney

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  2. Fry the thinly sliced small onion, sunflower oil, mustard and coriander seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat.
  3. While they cook, slice the top and bottom off the butternut squash and then cut into 2cm slices.
  4. Scoop out any seeds and then use a knife to cut off the outer flesh from the butternut squash.
  5. Cut the peeled slices into 2 cm chunks.
  6. Hopefully the onion will have started to soften now, so put it in a large bowl with the cubes of butternut squash and mix around so the squash is well coated with spices and onion.
  7. Pour the squash mixture into a baking tray with raised edges and make sure that it's all in one layer.
  8. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
  9. While the squash is cooking, fry the medium sliced onion in another 2 tbsp of sunflower oil until it starts to soften.
  10. Put the fried onion in a large mixing bowl and add all the ground spices, salt and the flour.
  11. Mix well and then add a tbsp of water at at time, before mixing again.
  12. Continue to add water until the dry ingredients have formed a thick paste that holds the onion together.
  13. Divide the mixture up between the dimples in a couple of muffin tins - you should be able to fill 20 to 24 of them. Be sure to push the mixture down into each one.
  14. Drizzle a little sunflower oil over each portion of mixture.
  15. By now the squash should be done in the oven. Take it out of the oven and leave it to cool on the side.
  16. Turn the oven up to 200 degrees Celsius.
  17. Cook the bhaji mixture in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes - until it's got a nice colour to it and is starting to crisp up.
  18. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the muffin tins.
  19. When you're ready to serve, remove each onion bhaji disc from the tray, put a small blob of mango chutney on it and then top with a cube of the squash.

Makes at least 24 canapés.

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