Pumpkin and Pepita Fritters

Makes 8

Ingredients

150g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp garlic powder
200ml chilled soda water
250g grated butternut pumpkin
1/4 cup each chopped coriander and basil leaves
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp each pepitas (dried pumpkin seeds) and sunflower kernels
2 egg whites, whisked to soft peaks
Azalea grapeseed oil, to fry
Freshly cracked black pepper
Sour cream, to serve

Method

1.

Combine flour, bicarb and spices in a large bowl.  Season with pepper then make a well in the centre and whisk in the cooled soda water to form a smooth batter.

2.

Add pumpkin, herbs, onion and seeds and mix well.  Gently fold though the whisked egg whites.

3.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large, deep frypan over high heat. In batches cook fritters (an ice-cream scoop is an easy way to measure out the batter, but if you don’t have one each fritter is about 2 heaped tablespoons of batter).  Drain on paper towel and allow to cool slightly before serving with sour cream.