Carrot and Feta Bites with Lime Yoghurt
Ruby Tandoh's Carrot and Feta Bites with Lime Yoghurt from Flavour. These vegetarian bites are a little like falafel or vegetarian meatballs. They make for great lunchbox fodder or are excellent as a light supper.
Introduction
These are something like vegetarian meatballs: little bites of carrot married with the heat of spring onion, spice and plenty of tasty feta. A lime yoghurt dip does a good job of cooling the saltiness of the cheese and brightening the flavour of the carrot bites with a zesty, sour zing. Take care not to rush or skip the salting and draining of the grated carrot, as it’s this stage that draws out the moisture so that the little veg bites hold together without sogginess.
Ingredients
| 4 | large carrots (roughly 600g total) |
| 1/2 tsp | salt |
| 6 | spring onions, thinly sliced |
| 150g | feta, crumbled into small chunks |
| 2 | limes, zest |
| 4 tbsp | plain flour |
| 1 tsp | ground cumin |
| 1 tsp | ground coriander |
| Small handful | of parsley, finely chopped |
| 2 | large eggs |
| Vegetable oil, for frying | |
| For the dipping sauce: | |
| 150g | natural yoghurt |
| 1 | lime, juice |
| Small handful | of parsley, finely chopped |
| Salt and black pepper, to taste |
Method
Coarsely grate the carrots and mix with the salt in a large bowl (it sounds like a lot of salt, but it’s just there to draw the moisture out of the carrots, and most of it will be lost). Let the salted carrotsit for 10 minutes, then squeeze it out – either in your hands or through a muslin cloth or tea towel – removing as much of the liquid as you can.
Stir the spring onions, feta, lime zest, flour, spices and parsley into the drained carrot. Whisk the eggs lightly together then add them to the mix. If the mixture is too dry to just about hold together in balls when you squeeze it in between your palms, add a drop of milk or water; if it’s too wet, add another tablespoon of flour.
Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Divide the carrot mixture into 16 portions, shaping each little mound into a rough rugby ball shape using your hands. Working in batches, fry over a medium heat for around 4 minutes, giving them a quarter turn every minute, until they’re nicely browned and set on all sides.
For the dipping sauce, mix the yoghurt, lime juice and parsley with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Serve with the carrot bites while they’re hot.
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