Gluten-free green fritters

Packed with zucchini and broccoli, these fritters feature teff as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.

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breakfast broccoli dinner fritters gluten-free hypoallergenic light lunch seasonal-food summer vegan vegetarian zucchini

I first encountered teff flour when I first encountered all the deliciousness that is Ethiopian cuisine. It’s used to make injera, a fermented flatbread that forms the base – and the plate-to-mouth delivery device – for a range of curry concoctions. Teff is naturally gluten-free, although I’ve heard some of the Ethiopian joints in Amsterdam, where I live, bulk up their injera with cheaper wheat flour. (Side note: go to Fenan Klein Afrika for the best Ethiopian in Amsterdam.)

I haven’t quite dared to tackle injera just yet – mainly because Fenan Klein Afrika is literally a five-minute walk from my house – but I thought I’d try using teff flour in fritters, one of my go-to easy weeknight meals (though they'd be great for brunch or lunch as well). The result? Delicious.

I served mine with a sumac-topped poached egg and a quick salsa: crumbled feta, avocado, tomato, red onion and garlic, finished with a good dash of apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. Or a green salad would do the trick too.

"Gluten-free green fritters

Makes approx 10 fritters

250g mix of zucchini and broccoli, grated*
2 tsp x ground cumin
2 tsp x ground coriander
A good sprinkling of chilli flakes (optional)**
½ tsp x sea salt
A small bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
A small bunch of green herbs (optional, whichever flavour takes your fancy)
120g x teff flour
1 tsp x baking powder***
150-175ml x water
Coconut oil, for frying
I used 150g broccoli and 100g zucchini here

**omit chilli to make it hypoallergenic

***use baking soda to make it hypoallergenic

Instructions

Combine everything but the flour and baking powder in a large bowl and mix together, then add the flour and baking powder and mix again until combined.

Pour in the water, starting with 150ml and adding as much as 175ml if needed, mixing as you go. You’re looking for a thick, sturdy consistency. Not watery, but it shouldn’t be dry either – think of thick Greek yoghurt or something similar.

Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add heaped tablespoons of the batter to the pan (starting with just one if you’re not sure of the consistency, and adding more water or more flour to adjust if necessary). Press the batter down to spread it out a bit. You want the fritters quite thin so the flour cooks through. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until brown and cooked through.