Thin & Crunchy Potato and Carrot Vegetable Fritters

I love this kind of fritter. I end up making them pretty often, usually when I have too much batter left over from something else, or when I’ve just made a cabbage salad, or I simply have some odd vegetable scraps sitting in the fridge. These simple vegetable pancakes are really common across Asia, sometimes it’s a thin batter with a handful of greens tossed in, other times it’s closer to a proper pancake with just a few herbs or scallions for aroma on top. There are all kinds of versions out there.

In this case, I went with potato and carrot above all else. I think the two go really well together, and they fry up even better. Everything is cut into a fine julienne so it cooks quickly, and these come out perfect as a side dish or as a nice little snack. Reminds of me a simple potato latke but with more flavour and more texture hehehe. Let’s get to the recipe.

Thin & Crunchy Potato and Carrot Vegetable Fritters

Servings: 16
Time: 40mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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This is a delicious summer fritter, if you ask me, super easy to make, and perfect as a snack, as a sandwich filler, as a side to some fish, or alongside a nice, refreshing potato or pasta salad.

Ingredients

Potatoes – 2 (Medium)
Carrots – 2 (Medium)
Water – 40ml (Preferably sparkling water)
Egg – 1 (L)
Flour – 100gr (+/- Adjust to consistency)
Cilantro – A Pinch (Chopped)
Sunflower Oil – For Frying (Or Vegetable Oil)
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by peeling the potatoes and carrots, then slice them into thin julienne strips. You want something super thin, the thinner the slices, the crispier the final product will be.
Prepare the batter by combining the water, egg, flour, and cilantro. Whisk well until you obtain a thick liquid. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Add the julienned potatoes and carrots to the batter and mix.
Cover the bottom of a frying pan with sunflower oil (yes, you can deep-fry these, but it’s not necessary). Let it heat up a little over medium heat (don’t add the batter to cold oil because this will cause the fritters to absorb more oil, whereas if the oil is already hot, the fritters will start to caramelize and therefore won’t absorb oil as easily).

Place spoonfuls of the batter in the pan to make small fritters. You can make them small or the size of the pan, the only difference is that smaller ones are easier to flip. A large one might break or fall apart if you flip it too soon.
Let them brown, use a spatula to press and spread them out until they are very thin, then flip and fry the other side. If necessary, flip two more times, and that’s it! Remove to a wire rack to drain or kitchen paper and repeat until there is no more batter.

Taste the first few and season with a pinch of salt if needed. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: I added a small end piece of an onion I had lying around, just so it wouldn’t go to waste. That’s why it’s not in the ingredient list, since it was really such a small amount, but you can absolutely add half an onion without any issue. If you’re after a garlicy flavor, it’s best to use dried, chopped garlic, since raw garlic runs the risk of burning.

Serve these with some nice dipping sauces, there’s no shortage of recipes to choose from. Personally, I like something on the spicier side, or with a bit of an acidic kick, like a tartar sauce.

You can also season these fritters with more spices, more pepper, cayenne, paprika, sweet paprika, thyme, oregano, or turmeric.

Squeeze out excess moisture from the julienned potatoes and carrots before mixing them into the batter if they seem watery, this keeps the fritters crisp instead of soggy.

Don’t overcrowd the pan, give each fritter room so the edges can crisp up properly and they’re easier to flip.

Keep a wire rack over a baking sheet nearby for draining, it keeps the bottoms from going soft the way kitchen paper sometimes can.

These are best eaten fresh and hot, but if you want to reheat leftovers, a few minutes in a hot oven or air fryer will bring the crispiness right back, the microwave will just leave them limp.

If you want to prep ahead, you can cut the potato and carrot julienne a few hours in advance, just keep the potato submerged in cold water so it doesn’t discolor, then pat it dry before mixing with the batter.

This recipe for Thin & Crunchy Potato and Carrot Vegetable Fritters was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Fritos Crocantes de Batata e Cenoura foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.