Plantain Fritters

Name: Plantain Fritters
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Iraqi
Ingredients: 300 g (10½ oz) sweet potatoes (preferably orange-fleshed); 2 tbsp sultanas or dates; chive stalks, to serve; chilli coulis, to serve; good handful of salad greens, to serve; vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 5–6 shallots or 2 banana shallots, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 5 cm (2 in) fresh root ginger, grated; 1 tbsp each of olive oil and vegetable oil; 1 large red chilli, seeded and finely chopped; touch of olive oil; 2 small shallots, finely chopped; handful each of mint and coriander leaves, chopped; juice of 1 lime; 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts; 1 small carrot, grated; 2 tsp sugar; 250 ml (9 fl oz) double cream; 1 tbsp granulated sugar; ½ garlic clove, finely chopped; 1 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Gate Vegetarian Cookbook

By Adrian Daniel and Michael Daniel

Published 2004

About

These Little delights were initially inspired by traditional kubba. The plaintain is one of those underused vegetables that people see in West Indian markets but don’t know how to use.

Ingredients

3–4 small plantains
300 g (10½ oz) sweet potatoes (preferably orange-fleshed)
<

Asia
Iraq
Snack
Starter
Mediterranean
Vegetarian
Gluten-free

Method

Well ahead, make the stuffing. Soak the sultanas in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and roughly chop. Heat the oils in a large frying pan or wok and cook the chilli for 30 seconds, then stir in the garlic, ginger and shallots and cook gently for about 5–10 minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 6–7 minutes more, until this is soft. (If the mixture catches, stir in a few