Carrot Fritters
The Vegetable:
Sweet spring carrots, here’s to you! Fresh from the soil and bound for a multitude of dishes, carrots are an easy sell. They are one of those foundation vegetables that most of us always seem to have on hand, for quick crunchy snacks; to toss in soups, salads, curries, stir fries; to add into sweet or savoury baked goods… the list goes on. Cooking them brings out their natural sweetness and optimizes their beta carotene absorption, so I try to balance out the number of raw carrots I grab throughout the week for munching on with plenty of cooked.
The Dish:
We had a carrot stockpile, and I wanted to use the older roots up before they were allocated to the rabbit we’re looking after (don’t worry, said rabbit gets plenty). With minimal ingredients they became carrot fritters, a versatile and economical dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast topped with a poached egg, for a snack or appetizer with hummus, or served alongside a punchy salad for dinner, layered with halloumi or tofu. Round and golden-orange, these carrot fritters, flecked with parsley or coriander green, are a great addition to your carrot recipe wheelhouse.
The Ingredients:
500g Carrots, grated
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
8 Tablespoons Flour (wheat, spelt, buckwheat, or chickpea are all good options)
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley or Coriander OR 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley or Coriander
Oil or ghee for cooking
Optional: a few finely chopped spring onions
Like spice? Add in a teaspoon each of ground cumin and paprika.
Like heat? Add ground cayenne, chili flakes, or finely chopped fresh peppers to suit your taste.
The How To:
In your mixing bowl, add eggs to carrots, then stir to coat. Sprinkle in flour, salt, herbs and spices. Mix gently to combine. Place a pan over medium heat, then coat well with oil of choice. Add carrot mix by heaping spoonfuls to the pan once hot. Cook for about 1 1/2-2 minutes, then flip and flatten slightly, and all to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Set aside and continue as above until all the mixture has been cooked.
Tidbits:
-These are great served for breakfast with eggs or tofu; room temperature with hummus for an afternoon snack; piping hot with cool yoghurt & parsley dipping sauce and a fresh salad; or added to a grain bowl atop grain of choice, bean or protein, salad and sauce for a filling but more in depth dinner.
-They keep well in the refrigerator, so can always make a larger batch to save time throughout the week.
-If you're running low on carrots you could easily substitute some for beetroot, daikon radish, kumara, potato, or other somewhat starchy root vegetable. Like most of my recipes, I often blur the edges and like to run with whatever I happen to have at hand. Best trick to becoming a confident cook is to bend the rules.
-Again, toddler approved!
Questions or comments? Feel free to reach out to this mama-baker-writer-mover on Facebook or at nakedcakesandwholefoods@gmail.com , always happy to chat.
Recipe created by Elena Keir of Naked Cakes and Wholefoods