Breakfast & Brunch
Cauli, Quinoa and Fresh Turmeric Fritters
Vege fritters are impressive for a whole host of reasons. They are nutritionally sound, are a great way to sneak extra veges into those who aren’t so keen on them, but best of all they are totally delicious.
These fritters have fresh turmeric in them. I love the taste of fresh turmeric. Its bright orange flesh is earthy and peppery. It is fresh and punchy, and adds a good zing to many dishes. Turmeric is touted as a superfood and has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammatory and bacterial related ailments. Its goodness certainly appeals to me, but to be honest it’s all about the flavour. I use fresh turmeric in fritters, smoothies, dressings, and salads. For me, the only downside is that it stains whatever it touches like you wouldn’t believe. So, a word of warning, if you don’t want bright yellow hands for days on end, wear gloves!
I’ve added another superfood, quinoa, to these fritters for texture, flavour and increased protein. Quinoa is loaded with nutrients and is a complete plant protein.
So not only do you get a great tasting fritter, you also get one that’s packed full with goodness!
When you look at the recipe, these look a bit complicated, but honestly, they are not. The fritters themselves are easy, it’s the finishing of them that might get you a bit excited. If that’s the case, make the fritters, throw on a poached egg with your favourite relish, and you’re good to go.
Enjoy!
Makes 12 large fritters or 36 small canape sized fritters
320gm cauli – whizzed up to the texture of rice. Use a vege grater if you don’t have a whizz.
100g fresh turmeric – peeled and coarsely grated. Feel free to use less if you’ve never used before.
1c cooked quinoa
2 spring onions – finely chopped
½ red capsicum – cut into smallish chunks that are still big enough to see in the fritter
5T gluten free flour (normal flour will also do the trick)
2t baking powder
4 eggs (I use size 7)
In a bowl mix together the cauli, turmeric, quinoa, spring onions and capsicum. Sprinkle over flour and baking powder. Give the mixture a gentle but good stir to ensure all the ingredients are lightly dusted in flour.
Crack in the eggs and mix until well combined. This is quite a dry mix, so don’t be too worried that there is not a pile of batter sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
Heat a splash of oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Once warmed, drop spoonfuls of fritter mixture into the pan. Cook for approximately 2mins each side, until golden brown. Place browned fritters onto a greased oven tray. Once all fritters are browned, place in oven and cook at 180C fanbake for 8mins until puffy and cooked through.
To put the fritters together….
You can serve these with whatever you like, however I served them with the following…
Wilted spinach, caramelised onion, halloumi, avocado and roasted tomato. Oh and a sprig of rosemary from my brother and sister-in-laws garden for added ‘foof’. That’s just for you GB 😉
Place fritter on the plate that you are serving it on. Top with wilted spinach, onions and a slice of cooked halloumi. Top with another fritter, slices of fresh avo and half a roasted tomato. Foof it up with a rosemary sprig if you have it 😊
Other recipes you may need to put this all together….
- Cooked quinoa
Add 1/3c quinoa and 2/3c water to a pot and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer with the lid on for 10 mins. Remove from heat and let stand with lid on for a further 10mins.
- Wilted spinach
Heat a dash of oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Once warmed add spinach and gently move the spinach around the pan with some tongs until wilted.
- Caramelised Red Onion
Peel and cut 1 large (or 2 smaller) red onions in half. Thinly slice.
Heat a good dollop of oil in a non-stick fry pan over low-medium heat. Once warmed add the sliced red onion.
Cook over low-medium heat, stirring a couple of times, for approx. 10mins until starting to colour. Add ¼ c cold water and stir onions to disperse water. Cook for further 7-10mins until water has evaporated.
Continue cooking onions for a further 10mins, stirring frequently, until soft. Remove from heat and cool.
- Roast tomato
Cut tomatoes in half. Sprinkle each half with salt, cracked pepper and whatever dried herbs you have in the cupboard. Cook at 180C fan bake for 20mins.
Notes on Ingredients
You cannot replace the fresh turmeric for powdered in this recipe. It simply does not work. If you can’t find fresh turmeric either leave it out or replace with half a finely cut red chilli and a 1-2cm piece of grated fresh ginger. It won’t taste the same, but it will still be delicious.
I have used red quinoa in these fritters as that is what I had in the cupboard (and I like the colour of it in the fritter), however any coloured quinoa is just fine.
Get adventurous with these fritters. Think of them as being like a piece of toast. Just a whole lot more nutritious. Stack them high with your favourite foods…serve for brekkie with crispy bacon, fried eggs and creamy mushrooms. Pile high with lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, coriander and a delicious avo dressing…..
These fritters make a great base for canapes or simply for those with smaller tummies. Use the smaller fritter as the base, add your favourite chutney, a piece of yummy cheese, half a cherry tomato, finished with whatever fresh herbs you have about and you have yourself a fancy pancy canape that will look and taste amazing. Or simply put them as they are in your lunch box for a powerful mid-morning snack.
Cooked quinoa freezes well. This is something that I always have in the freezer in ½ c portions. Makes life so much easier when want to whip up a batch of fritters or add to a salad, as it means less time in the kitchen and more time making memories with your loved ones.
Just in case you are wondering, these are just as delicious cold as they are hot.