Tasteloom Recipe 306: Golden Walnut Parsnip Mung Bean Fritters With Cranberry Sage Yogurt

Golden Walnut Parsnip Mung Bean Fritters with Cranberry Sage Yogurt 🍃🥄 These fritters are crisp at the edges, tender in the middle and full of quiet winter flavor: sweet grated parsnip, creamy mung beans, toasted walnuts, scallions and a cool cranberry sage yogurt that makes each bite bright instead of heavy. They work as a vegetarian dinner with salad, a lunchbox base, or a small plate for sharing. 💚 Yield: 4 servings, about 12 small fritters Time: about 40 minutes Ingredients: - 450 g parsnips, peeled and coarsely grated - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste - 240 g cooked mung beans, well drained - 65 g walnuts, toasted and finely chopped - 3 scallions, thinly sliced - 1 large egg - 45 g chickpea flour, plus 1 tbsp more if the mix feels loose - 1 tsp ground cumin - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika - 1/2 tsp baking powder - 1 lemon, zest finely grated and 2 tsp juice reserved - 2-3 tbsp olive oil, for frying - Black pepper For the cranberry sage yogurt: - 240 g thick Greek yogurt - 45 g dried cranberries, finely chopped - 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus zest if you like - 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 tsp very finely chopped rosemary - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup - 1 tsp olive oil - 1 small pinch salt Method: 1. Put the grated parsnip in a bowl with 1/2 tsp salt. Toss well and leave for 8 minutes. Squeeze it firmly in a clean towel or with your hands over the sink until it feels damp rather than wet. This is the main crispness step. 2. Mash about half of the mung beans in a mixing bowl, keeping the rest whole for texture. Add the squeezed parsnip, walnuts, scallions, egg, chickpea flour, cumin, smoked paprika, baking powder, lemon zest and black pepper. Mix until the batter holds together when pressed. If it looks loose, add the extra spoon of chickpea flour. 3. Shape 12 small patties, each about 1 cm thick. Set them on a plate and chill for 10 minutes. The brief rest helps the flour hydrate and keeps the fritters from cracking in the pan. 4. Warm a thin layer of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties in batches for 3-4 minutes per side, until the outside is deep golden and crisp. Do not crowd the pan; give each fritter enough space so it fries instead of steaming. 5. Transfer cooked fritters to a rack or a warm plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt while hot. 6. Make the yogurt. Stir Greek yogurt with chopped cranberries, lemon juice, sage, honey, olive oil and salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the cranberries soften slightly and the herbs perfume the yogurt. Taste and add a little more lemon if it needs lift. 7. Serve the hot fritters with cold cranberry sage yogurt, extra walnuts, lemon wedges and a handful of bitter greens or cucumber salad. 🥗 Serving and storage: - The fritter mixture can be shaped up to 1 day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. - Cooked fritters reheat best in a dry skillet or hot oven for 6-8 minutes. - Keep the yogurt separate so the edges stay crisp. - For a fuller meal, tuck the fritters into flatbreads with greens and extra lemon. Save this one for a crisp, bright vegetarian dinner with a cozy nutty center. ✨