Broccoli & Haloumi Fritters
These bright green fritters came to me because I often have half a block of haloumi in my fridge. I really like slicing it and crisping it up to serve for dinner. But with two people we usually only use half the block. I love broccoli and the idea of it mixed with little chunks of crispy haloumi got me going. I took the flavor profile to India with garam masala and cilantro. But you could easily move in a Mediterranean direction with oregano and dill. Alongside a simple salad and maybe some yogurt for dipping, this is a super well rounded dinner.
Bonus! These are soft enough to give to your baby or toddler once they've cooled down. If you're making them for a young baby you could even puree the fritter mixture a little more.
Makes about 12-14 fritters.
Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli, broken down into large pieces
1 cup frozen peas, run under some hot water to defrost
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 eggs
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Large handful of cilantro
A few grates of fresh ginger (about ½ teaspoon), using a microplane
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garam masala (if you don’t have this see notes)
¼ cup plus more avocado oil or any neutral oil
4 ounces haloumi cheese, cut into very small cubes or crumbled (you could also use paneer, low moisture mozzarella or even feta)
Here’s How:
Steam your broccoli until fork tender. You can do this by setting a steamer basket in a pot filled with 1” of water. Bring the water to a simmer, put your broccoli inside, cover with a lid and steam for about 3-5 minutes until it’s easily pierced with a fork.
Transfer your broccoli to a cutting board and chop it into smaller pieces (for ease in the food processor). Transfer this to the bowl of a large food processor.
To the broccoli, add half the peas, panko, eggs, scallions, cilantro, ginger, salt, and garam masala. Pulse until the mixture is smoother but still has some texture. You’ll want to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the remaining peas and cubed halloumi. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, more is okay too - this makes the fritters stay together better.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, make a patty out of the fritter mixture. Add the patty to the hot oil and repeat until you can't fit any more in the pan