Let’s talk appetizers.
Most of the time these consist of either deep fried treats or rich, cheesy, dips with chips. DELICIOUS! But not the best for our waistlines. On the other hand, a veggie tray is probably the most boring thing on the planet.
What if you could have a veggie appetizer with delicious flavor and the crunch and satisfaction of a fried goodie without the frying? You can! Let me introduce you to my friend the Curried Potato Fritter. Now I won’t lie to you, when I make these I do pan fry them (stop looking at me like that, I said pan-fry, not DEEP fry, there is a considerable difference) but they also work great oven-fried (aka baked). I will include both methods and send you on your way!
Curried Potato Fritters
2 medium russet potatoes
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup frozen peas, thawed (yes, I know, thawed frozen pea is a contradiction. It’s just means not canned)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Salt
Vegetable oil (if you go for the pan-fry)
4 large eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Mango or tomato chutney, or some other sweet/heat sauce (I like either jalapeno jelly or Thai chili sauce)
Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and microwave until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Peel the potatoes then transfer to a large bowl and mash with a fork until almost smooth. Mix in the cottage cheese, peas, curry powder, 2 tablespoons flour and 2 teaspoons salt. Let cool to room temperature.
Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. Put 1 cup of flour in another bowl and the panko in a third bowl.
Form the potato mixture into about 24 golf ball-size portions, then gently flatten into 2-inch patties. Dredge each patty in the flour, shake off any excess, dip in the eggs, then dredge in the panko, turning to coat.
Pan-fry:
I only use the bare-minimum of oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan completely
Get the oil hot in the pan
Fry the patties in batches until golden, turning as needed, 1 to 2 minutes.
Enjoy with the dipping sauce of your choice
Oven:
Preheat oven to 400
Place the patties on a non-stick baking sheet
Bake for 20 minutes or until desired crispiness
These things may only have a few ingredients, but thanks to the curry they are packed with flavor and a wonderful texture!
Enjoy!!!
Fun fact:
Most recipes and producers of curry powder usually include coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper in their blends. Depending on the recipe, additional ingredients such as ginger, garlic, asafoetida, fennel seed, caraway, cinnamon, clove, mustard seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, nutmeg, long pepper, and black pepper may also be added.
– Chris Nichols
