Mint marinated and battered halloumi with spicy broad bean dip

Name: Mint marinated and battered halloumi with spicy broad bean dip
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6

Main Serves 6 25 min

This recipe for marinated, fried halloumi and broad bean dip is good as a vegetarian starter, or spin it out into a main course with slices of warm pitta and salad. It's is a lovely way to use up older, larger beans, but make sure you double pod them before puréeing if they are big. Let the flavours of marinated halloumi infuse for a couple of hours.

Ingredients

for the halloumi

100ml plain yoghurt
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
300g halloumi, cut into ½cm slices
2 tbsp plain flour

for the dip

500g broad beans, podded to give 300-350g beans
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds, then ground
1 tsp paprika
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
1-2 chillies, finely chopped
for the batter:
50g plain flour
50g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
150ml sparkling or soda water
oil for frying, e.g. sunflower

Method

Prep time: 10 min

Cooking time: 15 min

For the halloumi

Step 1
Mix the yoghurt and mint, then toss in the halloumi to coat. Leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Make the dip

Step 1
Boil the broad beans for 4 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water, drain again and peel off the skins. Put in a processor with the rest of the dip ingredients except the chilli. Blitz to a purée. Stir in the chilli. Add salt and more lemon to taste.

Make the batter

Step 1
Whisk all the ingredients until smooth.
Step 2
Heat a deep fat fryer filled with sunflower oil to 180°C (or you can carefully use a pan of oil: put oil 4cm deep in the pan and use a food thermometer to check the temperature).
Step 3
Put the flour in a dish, dip the halloumi in it, then dip in the batter. Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning halfway, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the dip.