Y ield: 16 small fritters

 Today is gloriously chilly and rainy; it really feels like fall.   And with the first hints of fall comes my longing for comfort foods.  So by about 11:30 this morning, I found myself feeling a bit peckish, but caught between my desire for something sweetish a la breakfast or more savory a la lunch.

I was leaning toward something with sweet potatoes, but had ideas for them that suited a bigger appetite than I had at the time.  So I decided to save them, but spotted a lone Virginia apple in a bowl nearby and instantly decided on savory apple fritters, the pancakey kind, not the deep fried variety.    

Fritters are so versatile that it would have been easy to load them up with all manner of finely diced or shredded veggies, but I decided to keep the veggie ingredients simple and use some complex spices.  As I inhaled the aroma of the shredded apples, smoked paprika came to mind, so in it went.  And I love curry and apple together in a seitan or tempeh salad, so I decided to add a bit of curry powder.  I then sprinkled in a little turmeric for color and aroma, but the golden batter–made even more so by my inclusion of both flour and corn meal mix–still seemed to need an infusion of “warm” spices on this cool day.  So after perusing my spice carousels, I opted for ground cardamom and mace.   Lovely!

As they cooked, I started fantasizing about what I should drizzle over them.  I love the flavor of maple with both apple and savory ingredients,–who doesn’t!–so maple syrup would be the base.  But what would really tie the syrup to the flavors of the fritters?  Ah, chutney!  And I offer you two different preparations because if one savory syrup is good, two are better.

If these fritters sound good to you, I hope you have time to gather the ingredients together and whip them up for your Sunday brunch.  But, if not, this weekend, then soon while fall apples are bountiful.

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal mix (if you use plain cornmeal, you’ll need to adjust the baking powder and soda)

optional: 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

optional: 1/8 teaspoon ground mace

1/8-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8-1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of sea salt + more to taste

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

2 medium sweet-tart apples, stemmed, cored and grated (I use my food processor with its grater attachment for this task)

4 scallions, thinly sliced (reserve a few of the green slices for garnish)

Canola oil for frying

Maple-Chutney Syrup (recipe follows)

Garnish: vegan sour cream and green scallion rings

Line a platter or plates with paper towel.  Preheat oven to its lowest temperature.  In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk.  Use a form to incorporate the soymilk into the dry ingredients.  Fold in apple and scallion.  Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.  Heat a thin layer of corn oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Place 8 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter evenly spaced into the skillet and fry a couple of minutes on one side or until golden.  Flip and fry an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the reverse.  Adjust temperature if necessary so that fritters can fry at least 2-3 minutes on each side without browning because they may look golden on the outside before being fully cooked throughout if not allowed to cook a sufficient amount of time.  Remove to the lined platter or plates and place in the warm oven.  Repeat with remain batter.  Serve fritters, warm, topped with Maple-Chutney Syrup, a tiny dollop of vegan sour cream, and a green scallion ring or two.
Maple-Chutney Syrup

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons prepared chutney (link a mango variety)

OR

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) prepared cilantro chutney (this bright green chutney is sold in a jar at Indian markets)

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined.