A couple of crazy first weeks into the working year and these Mexican black bean and prawn fritters were a delicious Friday night dinner. I find fritters beautifully informal and simple to make especially on busy weeknights. We often have these straight from the pan in the kitchen; standing up, eating from a chopping board and making plans.
I truly adore the versatility of fritters. They can take on so many different flavours once you have the basic mix making them perfect for midweek. Fritters are also fabulous for using up odds and ends of vegetables for a “fridge meal”. Add an egg on top, and you’ve got breakfast. The combinations are truly endless.
A basic fritter base is typically flour, eggs, baking powder and salt. From there you can add the flavours and binders. Cheese is a helpful binder if you’ve chosen Mexican or European style fritters; a little cornflour can help bind ingredients if you’re after an Asian flavour profile. I added some cheddar cheese to these black bean and prawn fritters to help keep with the Mexican spiced theme. Black beans are very popular in Latin America and for good reason. Their dense texture and earthy flavour make them super versatile. Black beans are loaded with natural goodness including protein and dietary fibre, making them beautifully good for you too.
This recipe can also be made vegetarian with great success. Omit the prawns and add in the same volume of corn kernels and proceed with the rest of the steps. Serve with sliced avocado on top and sour cream on the side; or straight from the pan standing up in the kitchen, ala Kirsten Eats…
Ingredients
- 1 cup prawns, tails removed
- 2 x cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 400gm can black beans, drained
- 1 x red capsicum, diced
- 1 x spring onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Olive oil for cooking
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Roughly chop the prawns and place in a big bowl with the minced garlic and the drained black beans. Stir together and add the capsicum, spring onions and cheddar. Mix together until combined.
Whisk the eggs and gently mix through. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices and stir until combined. Season the batter and put to one side. Heat a little oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add heaped spoonfuls of lovely batter in a frying pan, cooking each side until cooked through and lightly golden. The prawn meat should be pink when cooked. Continue with the remaining mixture until they’re all cooked. Serve hot from the pan with a light salad and a little sweet chilli sauce on the side or topped with avocado slices.
