Vegetarian mains
Carrot fritter pittas with harissa yogurt and pickled cucumber
These carrot fritters are a simple and swift way of turning a handful of ingredients into a tasty meal. You can play around with the spices; a mild curry powder works also well. The fritter mix may seem a bit wet but the chickpea flour forms a batter that binds it when cooked. Take care when flipping them as they can be a little fragile until fully cooked.
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ tbsp light brown sugar
- salt and pepper
- 2 large or 3 small carrots
- 1 shallot
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dried coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp harissa
- 150g yogurt
- 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
- oil for frying e.g. sunflower
- 4 pitta breads
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 50g salad leaves
Method
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Step 1
Cut the half cucumber in half, lengthways, and remove the soft seedy core with the tip of a teaspoon. Thinly slice the cucumber.
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Step 2
In a shallow bowl, mix the vinegar with the sugar and a generous pinch of salt, until the sugar and salt dissolve. Mix the cucumber into the vinegar. Leave to marinate, turning occasionally, while you continue.
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Step 3
Peel and coarsely grate the carrots. Peel and grate the shallot. In a bowl, mix the carrot, shallot, 2 tbsp lemon juice, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric and dried coriander leaves. Season and leave them to sit for 5 mins.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Stir the harissa into the yogurt. Add the chickpea flour to the carrots then mix in 3 tbsp (45ml) water.
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Step 5
Heat a shallow layer of oil in a frying pan, to a medium heat. Cooking in batches (approx. 6 at a time), dollop heaped dessertspoons of carrot mix into the pan and flatten them with the back of the spoon.
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Step 6
Fry the fritters until golden, then gently turn them over and cook the other side. Keep any cooked fritters on a tray in the oven. You should get about 12 fritters in all.
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Step 7
Warm 4 pittas in the oven for 2-3 mins. Drain the vinegar away from the cucumber. Mix the poppy seeds with the cucumber.
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Step 8
Split the pittas open to create a pocket. Divide the fritters between the pittas and stuff in the salad leaves, cucumber and a dollop of harissa yogurt.