These tasty fritters are slightly addictive and truly delicious. They are really easy to make and leave you feeling satisfied, but not bloated. Great for anybody who is gluten intolerant as they are made with gram flour, so are naturally gluten free. Fresh herbs always lift the flavours of any dish, and the mint and coriander add a lovely freshness to these fritters. (Try shopping at your local Middle Eastern or Indian store - the herbs are often so much cheaper). Perfect served with some thick tzatziki (recipe coming soon) and a green salad. You could also pop one, or even two, of these into a bun, as a great alternative to a burger (serve with some sweet potato fries).
Makes about 10 fritters (approximately 12cm in diameter)
Ingredients
350g courgettes
350g carrots
250g halloumi
100g gram flour (chickpea flour)
6 spring onions (or a small red onion if you prefer), finely chopped
Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Directions
Peel the carrots, and then grate the carrots and the courgettes (do this in a food processor if you have one as it's a lot quicker).
Rest a colander on top of a bowl and place the grated carrot and courgette into the colander.
Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the grated veggies and allow it to do its magic for 10 minutes (the salt will draw the excess water out of the grated veggies, ensuring that you don't end up with soggy fritters). DON'T MISS THIS STEP OUT!
Meanwhile, add the chilli, garlic, spring onions, lemon zest, mint and coriander into a large bowl. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt and mix well.
Grate the halloumi, and add to the bowl along with the other ingredients, combine thoroughly.
After 10 minutes, squeeze any excess moisture from the carrots and courgettes.
Add the squeezed carrots and courgettes to the onion, halloumi and herb mix.
Mix thoroughly.
Add the gram flour to the bowl and mix thoroughly again.
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy based pan.
Make a 50p size fritter and cook in the pan. If the mixture is a little loose, add a touch more gram flour to the mix. (Chef's perk - you now get to eat the test fritter; check for seasoning, adding a little more if necessary).
Mould and flatten the rest of the mixture into fritters approximately 12cm in diameter.
On a medium heat, cook approximately 5 fritters at a time for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Remove and place on a sheet of kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil.
Enjoy!
These also make great appetisers. The only alteration required is to make them into smaller fritters, approximately 6cm in diameter. Serve with a small dollop of tzatziki and a coriander leaf on top.