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Tomatokeftedes
Tomato and mint fritters
Tomatokeftedes: Santorini's crisp tomato and mint fritters, made from the island's sweet little tomatoes
The volcanic soil of Santorini grows tiny, intensely sweet tomatoes on almost no water, and every taverna on the caldera serves them as tomatokeftedes: chopped tomato, onion, mint and oregano bound with just enough flour to hold, then fried until the outside is lacy and crisp and the inside is soft and juicy. They are eaten hot as a meze, often next to Santorini fava and a cold glass of water or lemonade. Common mistake: letting the batter sit, which draws out tomato juice and makes it runny; mix it right before frying. Chef's tip: squeeze the chopped tomatoes in a sieve first and keep the juice for a soup; drier tomatoes give crisper fritters.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb cherry tomatoesfinely chopped
- 1 red onionvery finely chopped
- ⅓ oz fresh mintchopped
- ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 5 ½ oz self-raising flourplus more if needed
- 1 cup olive or sunflower oilfor shallow-frying
- 1 lemon (optional)cut in wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb cherry tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl and press gently to drain off the loose juice for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Tip the tomatoes into a bowl with 1 red onion, ⅓ oz fresh mint, ⅓ oz flat-leaf parsley, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
Step 3: Heat 1 cup olive or sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat to about 350°F, until a drop of batter sizzles at once.
Step 4: Stir 5 ½ oz self-raising flour into the tomatoes to make a thick batter that drops heavily from a spoon. Add a spoon more flour if it runs.
Step 5: Drop tablespoons of batter into the oil, flattening slightly, and fry in batches for 2–3 minutes a side, until deep golden and crisp.
15 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve hot with 1 lemon if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tomatokeftedes take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cherry tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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