Finnish Beetroot Fritters, My Version.

Makes the World Taste Good.
pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: an original rat-packer takes on a wonky lyric.
For a vegetarian, two weeks skiing in Finland was a bit of a daunting prospect. I needn’t have worried; the cooks at Torrespieppi and Yllas Ski Resort, where we stayed, went out of their way to make us something delicious every evening. If I had one criticism, it would be that they seemed to have a glut of beetroot, as beetroot fritters appeared on my plate several times; it’s a good job I liked them.
I’ve no idea what their recipe was, but from looking at a few online and testing a few myself, this is the simplest, most tasty version I’ve come up with.
Ingredients for Finnish Beetroot Fritters
- 200g Beetroot – raw if you can get it, but pre-cooked works (but avoid those in vinegar
- 3 tbsp Flour – plain or for a coarser texture use oats
- 1 tbsp Seeds – I usually buy a pre-mixed bag of pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and linseed
- An Egg – beaten
- A small Red Onion – or half a large one, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground Cumin
- S&P
- Ground Rice or Fine Semolina
- Cooking Oil
Makes about 6 fritters; serves two
How to make Finnish Beetroot Fritters
- Coarsely grate the beetroot into a bowl. Use an electric grater/chopper if you have one, if you are doing it manually; use gloves. Squeeze and discard (or drink!) the excess juice.
- Add the flour/oats, seeds, egg, onion and cumin to the beetroot and mix thoroughly.
- Season to taste.
- Cover the bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Divide the mixture into about 6 and shape each handful into a fritter shape. Roll each one in the ground rice/fine semolina. This will help you shape the fritters and create a nice crispy coating on the fritter.
- Heat a splash of cooking oil in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Fry each fritter for about 5 minutes on side one, turn over and fry side two for about 3 minutes – you are looking for a crispy coating on each side.
- If you are using cooked beetroot, that’s it. If you like a good crunch in your beetroot, that’s it. But, if you are using raw beetroot and you prefer your fritters softer; place them on a baking tray in a 180o oven for about 15minutes.
To Serve Finnish Beetroot Fritters
A good traditional accompaniment is horseradish – a tsp of horseradish sauce mixed with a tbsp of crème fraiche works a treat.
Goats’ cheese is also an excellent flavour combination for beetroot; serve fritters with baby green leaves and a few chunks of goats’ cheese and, if you fancy, a small handful of chopped walnuts.