Author of Indian Family Kitchen Anjali Pathak provides us with a new and exciting way to courgette flowers.
She says: “Courgette flowers are seen as exotic and are only available when courgettes come into season. They have a light, subtle flavour and so I’m adding sweet spices to my ricotta with just a little chilli heat to help the honey taste even sweeter. This is a great starter to any meal.”
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 courgette flowers with baby courgettes attached (preferably), flower stamens removed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
good drizzle of clear honey
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Stuffing
3 tbsp ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp finely chopped chives
1/2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted and finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
pinch of ground green cardamom (optional)
METHOD
1 Mix all the stuffing ingredients together in a bowl.
2 Slit the courgettes through the middle lengthways but not all the way to the top so that the heat from the pan can cook them all the way through. Carefully stuff the flowers with the ricotta stuffing, trying not to overfill them. Twist the top to seal.
3 Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan and pan-fry the flowers for a few minutes until they are light golden brown on all sides. Transfer the flowers to a plate, draining on kitchen paper if you need to, and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle over the chilli and a few extra toasted pine nuts to garnish.
Recipe and image from Secrets From My Indian Family Kitchen by Anjali Pathak, Hachette Australia. On sale from the 12th of May, $39.99.
