To begin, there are assorted vegetable fritters called pakoras; barbecued shrimp in a spicy sauce; and papri chat, puffed crackers topped with potato, yogurt and tamarind sauce.

Dale's mushroom soup plus a vegetable fritter.

Current appetizers include lentil donuts served in garnished yogurt and mildly spiced crisp vegetable fritters.

But vegetable fritters called pakoras were tough.

Potato-caraway bread, freshly fried, is served with mint and cilantro chutney; vegetable fritters come with tamarind-mango and mint chutneys.

Pakoras, deep vegetable fritters, are less consistent.

Appetizers include a cake of steamed lentil and rice, served with sambar (lentil and vegetables) and chutney; lentil doughnuts served in garnished yogurt; vegetable fritters, and potato dumplings.

These marvelous little mouthfuls might include oysters Rockefeller, vegetable fritter, coconut shrimp or a fluff of cauliflower mousse sprinkled with black caviar.

As pork consumption is prohibited for Muslims, halal yong tau foo is generally soy based or stuffed vegetable fritters or steamed bean curd with fish paste stuffing.

The result is not the usual hand-held, pizza-dense scallion pancake but a fork-tender pancake reminiscent of a vegetable fritter.