Balkan Cornmeal Cheese Fritters with Ajvar Yogurt Dip 🌽✨

Description

Balkan Cornmeal Cheese Fritters are golden, crisp little bites made with cornmeal, white brined cheese, yogurt, egg, herbs, and a touch of paprika. They are crunchy outside, soft and cheesy inside, and perfect with a smoky ajvar yogurt dip for a warm Balkan meze plate that disappears fast. ✨

Hook ✨

Crisp cornmeal crust, salty white cheese, herbs, and smoky ajvar yogurt make these Balkan fritters small, golden, and dangerously snackable. 🌽

Ingredients

• Fritter base 🌽
• 🌽 180 g fine cornmeal or polenta flour (1 cup / 6.3 oz)
• 🌾 70 g all-purpose flour (½ cup / 2.5 oz)
• 🧀 220 g white brined cheese or feta, crumbled (1¾ cups / 7.8 oz)
• 🥣 180 g thick plain yogurt (¾ cup / 6.3 oz)
• 🥚 2 large eggs, 100 g (2 eggs / 3.5 oz)
• 🧅 60 g spring onion, finely sliced (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🌿 20 g fresh parsley or dill, chopped (½ cup / 0.7 oz)
• 🌶️ 4 g sweet paprika (1½ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🧂 4 g fine sea salt (⅔ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🧁 6 g baking powder (1½ tsp / 0.21 oz)
• For frying 🔥
• 🫒 400 ml sunflower oil or neutral oil, for shallow frying (1⅔ cups / 13.5 fl oz)
• Ajvar yogurt dip 🌶️
• 🥣 180 g thick plain yogurt (¾ cup / 6.3 oz)
• 🌶️ 90 g ajvar (⅓ cup / 3.2 oz)
• 🧄 4 g garlic, finely grated (1 small clove / 0.14 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🧂 2 g fine sea salt (⅓ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🌿 10 g fresh parsley, chopped (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• Serving ✨
• 🍋 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 🌿 5 g extra parsley, for topping (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🌶️ 30 g extra ajvar, optional (2 tbsp / 1 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Mix the dry base 🌽
2. In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.
3. 2️⃣ Add cheese and herbs 🧀
4. Stir in crumbled white brined cheese, spring onion, and parsley or dill. Keep the cheese slightly chunky for a better soft center.
5. 3️⃣ Make the batter 🥣
6. Add yogurt and eggs. Mix for 45–60 sec until a thick scoopable batter forms. Let it rest for 10 min so the cornmeal hydrates and the fritters hold their shape.
7. 4️⃣ Shape the fritters ✨
8. With damp hands or two spoons, shape small walnut-size fritters, about 30 g each. Keep them compact but not overpressed.
9. 5️⃣ Fry until golden 🔥
10. Heat oil in a wide pan to 170°C (338°F). Fry in batches for 3–4 min per side, until deep golden, crisp, and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
11. 6️⃣ Make the dip 🌶️
12. In a bowl, stir yogurt, ajvar, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and parsley until creamy, smoky, and lightly orange.
13. 7️⃣ Serve hot 🧀
14. Pile the fritters on a dark plate, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with ajvar yogurt dip, lemon wedges, and extra ajvar if desired.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 18 min
🛋 Rest: 10 min
⏰ Total: 48 min

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