Spiced courgette fritters with mint and jalapeño dip

Method

1. If you have a food processor with a julienning attachment, put the courgettes through at the thickest setting. If not, either use a spiraliser and roughly chop into 10cm lengths, or grate the courgettes coarsely on a box grater (grate lengthways to get longer pieces). Line a large roasting tin with 3 layers of kitchen paper, scatter over the courgettes, sprinkle with sea salt, then top with more kitchen paper and leave to drain for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the dip. Put the dip ingredients in a food processor or mini chopper and whizz until combined and pale green. Taste and season, then scoop into a bowl and set aside.
3. Pat the drained courgettes dry with more kitchen roll, then tip into a large mixing bowl with the spring onions, spices, flour and egg. Season well with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
4. Heat about 3cm oil in a large sauté pan or deep frying pan on a high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, drop in a little of the mix – it should sizzle gently. If it doesn’t, heat the oil for longer. When ready, scoop up dessertspoonfuls of the mix and gently slide into the oil using another spoon to help. Repeat until you have 5-6 frying at once. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden on the underside, then flip over with a slotted spoon or palette knife.
5. Once the fritters are uniformly golden, remove and drain on kitchen paper. If you’re serving them all together, keep batches warm in a low oven while you fry the rest. Serve the fritters warm with the dip.