These vegan beet + cumin fritters are the whole package. Beauty, nutrients, and simplicity wrapped up in cute little patties. A drizzle of tangy horseradish + dill yogurt balances and brightens, bringing life to each and every flavor within the savory magenta fritters.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, plant-based, Vegan
Servings: 8–12 fritters
Author: Lee Watson | Peace & Parsnips: Adventurous Vegan Cooking for Everyone
Ingredients
Beet and Cumin Fritters
1large potato, scrubbed and cut into cubes
4 ½ouncesfirm tofu, pressed and well mashed
⅓cupbuckwheat or whole wheat flour
A handful of fresh mint leaves, stemmed and finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1teaspoonsea salt
¼teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
10 ½ouncesbeets, scrubbed and coarsely grated
A handful of edamame, green peas, or fava beans
1 ½teaspoonscumin seeds, toasted and roughly ground
Vegetable oil, for frying
Horseradish and Dill Yogurt
1 ⅓cupsthick unsweetened soy yogurt
1tablespoonlemon juice
3tablespoonsfinely grated horseradish or 1 ½ tablespoons jarred horseradish purée
Handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
Generous pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Garnish
1big handful watercress or other greens
2spring onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
For the Beet and Cumin Fritters
Put the potato into a small pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 25 minutes, until soft. Drain in a colander, mash well and leave to cool.
Make the horseradish and dill yogurt (see recipe below). This can be done well in advance.
Once the potato has cooled to handling temperature, mix with the mashed tofu, flour, mint leaves, lemon, salt and pepper. Now gently mix in the grated beet and peas, until well combined—using your hands is best. We’d like these fritters to be chunky and packed full of texture.
In a large heavy-bottomed frying pan, dry toast your cumin seeds on medium-low heat for a minute. They should pop and give off a lovely aroma. Put them into a mortar and mash them up a little, then stir them into the fritter mix.
In the same pan, warm ½ Tbsp. oil on medium heat, ensuring that the bottom of the pan is evenly covered with a film of oil. Spoon in 2 heaped Tbsp. of fritter mixture per go, pressing it down a little with the back of the spoon until it’s roughly 1cm thick. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side and slightly less on the other. Repeat until you have a few fritters cooking at the same time, and continue to cook in batches. Drain on paper towels and keep them warm in a low-temperature oven.
For the Horseradish and Dill Yogurt
Stir all the ingredients except the oil together in a small bowl. Season and drizzle with olive oil.
To Serve
Serve warm and crispy on a bed of vibrant green watercress or spinach leaves, garnished with the scallions and with the horseradish and dill yogurt on the side.