All frittered up

I don’t usually think of myself as a person who finds comfort in a particular routine; in fact my life has been driven by change and randomness – even in my love for food.  Very rarely do I have foods that I eat every day – or every Tuesday etc. I thrive on change…

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But at this point in my life I find that a little bit of routine isn’t such a bad thing. For examply, every Saturday my partner M and I enjoy the relaxing morning coffee and then near lunchtime make our way to our favourite Sushi spot. And then we walk through the city and pick out foods to make for later in the evening. It’s a perfect little routine and it’s really enjoyable.

So on a recent routine day, I thought I’d grab a few items to make a late afternoon snack. I thought about the delicious snacks my mother used to make: she was a true master of food and Indian snacks like pakora and vada were her particular forte. 

I made spiced carrot & zucchini fritters with lemon & mint yoghurt. They are full of flavour from spices like cumin and paprika, fresh herbs like sage and coriander, and a little heat provided by fresh green chillies. These little snacks pair deliciously with a lemony, minty yoghurt – and of course a late afternoon drink of cold beer! 

spiced carrot & zucchini fritters with lemon & mint yoghurt 

fritters

2 medium carrots, grated

2 medium zucchini, grated

1/4 red onion, sliced finely

1 green chilli. deseeded and finely chopped

4 fresh sage leaves, chiffonade (sliced finely) – used dried if you don’t have fresh

1/4  bunch coriander (stems and leaves), chopped finely

1/2 tsp each cumin and paprika, ground

1/4 tsp tumeric, ground

1/2 tsp sea salt (in addition to the sea salt spinkled after cooked)

1 egg, beaten

4 tbsp besan flour (chickpea flour, or use any alternative)

enough oil for shallow frying – use olive oil or nay

yoghurt sauce

1/2 cup yoghurt, plain, low-fat

1/4 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

zest from 1/2 lemon

pinch sea salt

In a large bowl add grated carrots and zucchini  and sliced onions – squeeze out excess water as much as possible. Add chili and fresh herbs – sage and coriander and spices and salt. Add in beaten egg and mix through. At this point, add in flour by the tablespoon – ensuring that the mixture is the right consistency – you want it to bind and not be too wet/soggy. 

To make yoghurt sauce – in a small bowl add all ingredients and mix well, leave in fridge.

Line a plate with paper towel and place a large fry pan on medium heat. Once hot, add enough oil to the pan to cover the bottom. Take tablespoonfuls of the fritter batter (it might seem like it won’t stick together, don’t worry once in the pan it will!), flatten it out slightly and place in pan. You have to work a bit quick here – about 5 should fit in the pan at once. Cook on medium heat about 2-3 minutes each side. You might want to test out the time for cooking. Once cooked place on paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt– eat while hot with fresh and cool yoghurt and a delicious cold beer! Enjoy!