pumpkin mezze

carrot & butternut fritters

This fresh and seducing pumpkin appetizer is created by Honey & Co by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer. I had to make some changes as I did not have tarragon, and I did not use ground cardamom pods. I used cardamom seeds, so when you bite you accidentally bite a black seed which makes explosion of flavors in your mouth. Fritters are best to be eaten right away and lime or lemon juice make no problem of possible mouth burning plus this acidity makes perfect combo with sweetness from pumpkin.

1 large carrot, peeled (about 150g)
1 medium potato, peeled (about 150g)
¼ butternut squash, peeled and deseeded (about 150g)
½ onion, peeled (about 60g)
½ tsp + ½ tsp salt
2 eggs
6 sprigs of tarragon, picked and roughly chopped
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cardamom pods, crashed only seeds used
3 tbsp wholemeal flour
½ tsp baking powder
vegetable oil for frying

Grate all the vegetables on a coarse grater (or use a food processor) and place in a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt and mix lightly. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature to draw out the excess water.
Place the eggs, tarragon, remaining half-teaspoon of salt, pepper, ground cardamom seeds, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Squeeze out whatever liquid you can from the vegetables, add them to the bowl and mix vigorously to combine.
Heat about 2cm of oil in a frying pan, and line a plate with some absorbent kitchen paper. Scoop little spoonfuls of the batter into the oil and fry for about a minute until they start to crisp up. Flip the fritters carefully and fry on the other side for another minute or so till crisp. Remove to the lined plate to absorb the excess oil. Repeat until you have used up all the batter.

Serve with lime or lemon halves.