This dish is inspired by a recipe in Nigel Slater’s Tender: Volume 1, A cook and his vegetable patch. I adapted the batter to include egg and almond flour to create a more sturdy fritter. It’s a flexible recipe in that you can swap out the zucchini, leeks, and carrots for just about any fresh garden vegetable you have on hand. The warm scent of the garam masala will have people loitering around the kitchen until dinner is served. Or breakfast. These fritters are delicious no matter the mealtime.
Ingredients
- 4 small zucchini
- 1 large leek, sliced into thin strips (about 2 inches in length)
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into thin strips
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, sliced
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup yogurt
- 2-3 small, hot, red and yellow chile peppers
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- handful cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped or torn
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Preparation
Slice the zucchini in long thin ribbons using either a knife, spiralizer, or peeler.
Place the sliced zucchini in a strainer and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let the zucchini sit for at least 20 minutes to allow the salt to draw water out of the zucchini. (This is referred to as “sweating” the vegetable.)
While the zucchini is sitting, prepare and measure the remaining ingredients and add them to a large mixing bowl.
When the zucchini is fully sweated, squeeze the water out one handful at a time. Next, add the zucchini to the remaining ingredients in the bowl.
Warm a skillet over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom. Divide the batter into about ten portions and cook in batches, adding more oil as needed, for approximately three minutes per side.
Serve warm. Top with chili yogurt sauce and garnish lightly with any of the following options: grated carrots, thinly sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, black pepper, or ground coriander.
To prepare the chili yogurt sauce, remove seeds and pith from the chile peppers and mince. Toast the cumin seeds in a pan over medium heat until aromatic. Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until well combined. You can store this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days.
