Pumpkin Fritters are a proudly South African sweet treat – I guess one of the best ways to describe them would be pumpkin pie doughnuts. And as with so many heritage recipes, they are really simple to make – cooked pumpkin is gently spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and mixed into a simple batter that is then deep friend until golden and dusted prettily with sugar. I also like to add in a little orange zest as it works so beautifully with the other flavours. Where you end up is with the most delicious golden nuggets of sweet pumpkin and it’s heaven. Give them a bash!
Pumpkin Fritters with Sweet Ginger Yoghurt
Serves 4-6 | Preparation time 10 minutes | Cooking time 10-15 minutes
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
For the Fritters
500g pumpkin or butternut, peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup (125g) self-raising flour
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
¼ cup milk
pinch of salt
vegetable oil, for shallow frying
zest of 1 orange, for dusting
4-6 Tbsp caster sugar mixed with 1 level tsp cinnamon, for dusting
For the Ginger Yoghurt
1 Tbsp stem-ginger syrup (or use honey)
1 cup double thick Greek yoghurt
Mix together until smooth
1. For the fritters, boil the pumpkin until soft and can be easily pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well and allow to cool and steam dry.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl, add in the pumpkin and then mix until you have a smooth batter. This can be done by hand or in a food processor.
3. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat (you need the temperature to reach 180-190C). When the oil is hot, carefully drop in spoonfuls of the batter and fry until cooked through and golden.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until you have used all the batter.
5. Dust generously with the orange zest and cinnamon sugar and serve immediately with the ginger yoghurt.
We hope that these delicious treats are a welcome addition to your recipe collection. More importantly we hope you can delight in this proudly South African dish in the heart of its origin. For more of Sarah Graham’s mouth-watering recipes click here.