Some great dishes have great cultural heritage behind them, while others are created just because something in the fridge needs to be eaten. Today’s fritters are in that last category. We had a lonely courgette in the fridge that had seen better days and really needed to be eaten. In the spirit of anything can be turned into a fritter (much like anything can be turned into a pakora), this dish was born with the minimum of reliance on fresh ingredients. Which make this perfect for emptying the fridge or for those days when you really could do with going to the shops but just don’t have the time.
Paired with frozen sweetcorn, some Thai red curry paste that was starting to threaten to grow it’s own eco system, and the last of a tin of coconut milk, these fritters are bursting with asian flavours. The method for this is incredibly easy, along the lines of throw most things at the blender, and works well as a tasty side or snack.
Enjoy hot or cold with some sweet chilli dipping sauce.
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 250g Frozen Sweetcorn, defrosted
- 1 large Courgette (or zucchini for our american readers), grated
- 4 Spring Onions, sliced (optional)*
- 2 Tbsp fresh Coriander, chopped
- 45g Chickpea Flour
- 125ml Coconut milk
- 1 Chia Egg**
- 1 Red Chilli***
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 4 Lime Leaves, stems removed
- 1½ Tbsp Thai Red Curry paste
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce Substitute
Directions
Take half of your sweetcorn and place in the jug of your blender, the rest should be mixed with the grated courgettes, spring onions, and coriander and set to one side.
Place the rest of the ingredients into the blender jug with your sweetcorn. Blend on high until well combined and smooth – if your blender starts to struggle you may need to add a little water or additional coconut milk to thin it out a little. Stir this mix through your vegetables until well combined. If it seems a little then then add more chickpea flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a good thick batter.
Place a frying pan on a medium to high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the pan is heated through, add a quarter cup of batter for each fritter and cook evenly on each side for about 3-5 minutes making sure it’s cooked all the way through. Add more oil to your pan as needed as you continue to cook your fritters.
That’s it – didn’t I say it was easy? Serve with some chilli dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
* Spring Onions add a bite of freshness here but if you don’t have any feel free to either skip them or substitute in a small, diced red onion.
** If you’re not familiar with using chia eggs, here’s my quick primer. Soak 1Tbsp of ground chia seeds in 3Tbsp of water for at least 10 minutes – this should become a gel like substance and works as a great binder.
*** Getting low on fresh ingredients and don’t have any chillies left? No problem, just use ½ tsp of chilli flakes instead.
Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you.
Make sure that your curry paste is vegan when you buy it as some versions contain shrimp.
This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free – enjoy!
