Fritters

Fritter, any of various types of fried foods, generally consisting of small pieces of meat, vegetables, fruit, or dough. A fritter is defined by what’s dipped into batter, whether vegetables or fruits or leftover meats. Fritter derives from the Late Latin frictura, meaning “a fry.” Frictura, in turn, derived from the Latin berb frigere which meant “to fry” or “to roast.”

A batter is a thin blend of flour, egg, and liquid that you cannot knead. Derived from the French word battre, meaning ‘to beat’, batters are made by beating/whisking their ingredients together.

The batter-frying technique was introduced into Japan by the Portuguese and Spanish in the late 16th century; the tempura that developed, a mixed fry of shrimps, herbs, and vegetables, has been totally incorporated into the cuisine.

Example of fritters: pakora. Pakora are Indian vegetable patties, spiced and fried until golden and crispy. Pakora, a small, spicy fritter containing pieces of vegetables or meat, made usually with a batter of chickpea flour and deep-fried.

They can be made with virtually any vegetable. Pakora can be served as a starter for an Indian meal, a light meal, or pass them around as canapés.

There are two basic types of fritters: those that are made from dough, and hence are more closely related to doughnuts and funnel cakes, and those that are made by dipping something in batter.
Fritters