Vegan Cauliflower and Courgette Fritters

If you are looking for a light, vegan lunch that’s satisfying and flavourful, this one is for you. These vegan cauliflower and courgette fritters are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and when accompanied by an Asian inspired salad and sriracha sauce it’s simply scrumptious. I absolutely love asian ingredients and feel it goes with everything. This recipe is a true example of it. Finely chopped cauliflower, courgette, tofu, spring onions, fresh herbs and asian sauces are mixed together and pan-fried in a little oil until golden brown and crisp.

With my upbringing with Indian food I have a theory that one can fry almost anything with a handful of pantry staples and it would turn out delicious. In India we can fry absolutely everything! When eating street food or just at home the frying pan with a little oils is always a trusted friend! These fritters can also be fried, but pan frying uses just a fraction of the oil and is so much healthier. Add that up with the fact that these are packed with nutrients and low in carbs and you have an extremely healthy item to try out! Cauliflower is considered a superfood because it is high in fibre, antioxidants and vitamins B and C and this is a great new way to get your family to try more cauliflower! These are a healthy yet delicious snack which is extremely quick and easy to whip up!

How to make Crispy Courgette Fritters??

The perfect fritters are those that are crispy on the outsides and moist insides – there’s nothing more annoying than a towering stack of soggy or dry fritters.

And the only path to avoid soggy insides and achieve those crispy outsides is to chop your courgettes and blanch your cauliflower. Courgette has high moisture content and grating it releases it even more. So chopping is best to get the required crispiness. Blanching the cauliflower gives it a great texture.

Are these Courgette Fritters Vegan Friendly??

A classic recipe for fritters uses eggs, milk and cheese. Luckily it is quite simple to whip up a batch of these fritters for a snack, brunch or light lunch. In this recipe I have substituted the eggs for tofu making it even healthier.

Can you bake these fritters??

Yes, you can bake them, however, they’re 10 times better when they’re fried in a pan with a little oil until golden brown. To bake your fritters, preheat the oven to 200°C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray oil all over the batter and place 2-3 tbsp of batter per fritters on the baking sheet.

Leave 1 thumb of space between each fritter. They slightly expand when baking.

Bake for 15 minutes, then spray oil on top of the fritters, flip over, and bake for an extra 20 minutes until golden brown and bake through.

Can I make these Fritters Gluten-free??

Yes, you can use this recipe to make gluten-free cauliflower and courgette fritters. The best gluten-free flour options are:

• Chickpea flour – will create a thicker batter, add a splash of almond or oat milk to adjust the texture.
• Buckwheat flour – will create a thicker batter, add a splash of oat or almond milk to adjust the texture.
• All-purpose gluten-free flour, choose a gluten-free blend that contains gums for the best results.

Helpful Tips and Tricks to Make vegan Cauliflower and courgette fritters

• Blanching the cauliflower gives it a great texture and you don’t the taste of raw cauliflower in the fritters.
• You can grate the courgette but after grating, add salt to the them and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then wring out the excess water from the courgettes. Do not skip this step or your fritters will become soggy.
• You can store the fritters for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Batter consistency is key to good fritters. If too runny, add a touch of extra flour (otherwise fritters soggy inside). If way too thick, add a touch of water. It does come down to how juicy / how well the water was removed from the courgettes. Don’t squeeze the courgette too hard, I just use my hands so some moisture is left in them for the batter.
• One can add parmesan cheese for extra crisp and flavour, and garlic because it goes so well with asian flavours.
• These fritters are best served fresh. But to reheat leftovers, pop them on a rack in an oven at 250°C for 5 minutes. OR pan fry lightly in a little oil to re-crisp and rewarm!

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Serves: 16 fritters Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.4/5

( 5 voted )

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Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 large courgette, diced
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 1/2 cup silken tofu, blended smooth
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 birds eye chillies, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
• 2 tsp hot pepper paste (Gochujong)
• 1/2 tsp Shichimi Togarashi
• 1 tsp Aorori Seaweed
• 1 tsp tamari soya sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp oil

For the salad:

• 1 bunch fresh coriander
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 2 birds eye chilli, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tbsp black vinegar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the cauliflower florets and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Drain and cut into small pieces.
2. In a large bowl mix the cauliflower and courgette with the all purpose flour, rice flour, tofu, ginger, garlic, chillies, spring onions, coriander, hot pepper paste, togarashi, seaweed, soya sauce, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
3. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add scoops of the mixture to hot oil ensuring you leave enough room for the item to spread during cooking. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through, crispy and golden brown.
4. Transfer to kitchen towel on a plate to drain any excess oil. Serve warm with coriander and onion salad and sriracha sauce.

For the Salad

1. Wash the coriander and remove all the thick stems. Roughly chop and keep aside.
2. In a medium bowl add the coriander, sliced onions, green onions and birds eye chilli.
3. Add all the seasonings just before serving and mix well.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!