Pumpkin, ginger and coriander fritters with lime yoghurt
This recipe may seem a bit of a fiddle, but the intensely flavourful, addictive little fritters it yields makes it all worthwhile. Good eaten hot, warm, and cold in a packed lunch pitta with some hummus and fresh salad. Makes around 12 medium-sized fritters.
Ingredients
- 300g Greek yogurt
- zest and juice 1 lime
- 1kg pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1.5cm cubes
- olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 6cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 150g plain or gram flour
- small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 4 eggs, beaten
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- sunflower oil
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Mix the yoghurt with lime zest and juice in a bowl, whisk well and set aside.
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Step 2
Toss the cubed pumpkin in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until cooked through and a little caramelised (around 20 minutes). Set aside to cool a little.
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Step 3
Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the shallots, ginger and garlic over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Now add the toasted and ground spices and fry for another 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.
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Step 4
Put the flour, chopped coriander, eggs, salt and pepper into the bowl with the shallot/spice mix, lemon zest and juice and whisk into a batter. When the mixture is smooth, add the warm pumpkin.
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Step 5
Pour sunflower oil into a pan - 1.5cm depth - and heat. When hot, spoon in a test portion of the batter mixture and cook for around 2-3 minutes on both sides until golden. Drain on some kitchen paper and then eat with some yoghurt to test the seasoning - this mix does take a lot of salt.
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Step 6
Once happy with the seasoning, continue frying, adding portions of the batter mixture, around 2 tablespoons per fritter, to the pan. Fry in small batches, controlling oil temperature so the fritters cook but don't burn. They should take 2-3 minutes on each side.
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Step 7
Remove from pan and drain on a kitchen paper. Serve with lime yoghurt on the side and some extra coriander leaves on top.
