Pumpkin Fritters...they're not dessert!

...Or even a breakfast pastry. Nope in Barbados, pumpkin fritters are a side dish! Yes, you read that right, they serve these sugar dusted fritters as a side dish with the meal. A doughnut like side dish, now that's one way to get the kiddos to eat their veggies!

Hubs and I visited Barbados 3 years ago, around this time of the year. While we were there, we had pumpkin fritters several times. They were always served as a side along with savory dishes. I totally fell in love with the pumpkin fritters during our trip to Barbados. When I got home, I wanted to make the pumpkin fritters but couldn't find much information on how they  were made. I wrote a post about our trip to Barbados, and was so excited when I got a comment from Cynthia of Tastes Like Home. Cynthia is originally from Guyana, but has lived in Barbados for many years. Who better to ask for help with making these pumpkin fritters? Cynthia was kind enough to send me a couple of different pumpkin fritter recipes. My first fritter making attempt, didn't go so well. I think the pumpkin they use in Barbados may be a different variety then the pumpkin we have here in the States. However with Cynthia's help and some trial and error, I finally got a pumpkin fritter that's pretty close to the ones we had in Barbados. Thanks Cynthia!

So serve them whenever you want, just don't pass up these bites of fried pumpkin deliciousness!

Pumpkin Fritters
printable recipe

2 lbs- 1 sm pumpkin pie pumpkin (sometimes called sugar pumpkin)

Salt

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg

1 cup flour (approximately)

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Garnish: 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel the pumpkin and cut into chunks. Place in medium sized pot, cover with water.

Add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.

Boil the pumpkin in salted water until soft.

Drain and mash pumpkin. In a little bowl mix the sugar and spices.Stir mixture into the mashed pumpkin.

Whisk an egg and mix into the pumpkin along with the milk.

Add baking powder and flour until it comes to a good dropping consistency.(I only needed about 3/4 cup of flour)

In a cast iron skillet or frying pan add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan about a 1/2 inch. You need enough to shallow fry the fritters.

When the oil is hot enough to fry, drop rounded teaspoons of batter into the hot oil.

Use caution when working with hot oil! Don't overcrowd the pan.

Fry the fritters in batches of about 5 or 6. Fry both sides on a medium heat until dark brown.

Adjust heat when cooking so fritters cook through without burning.These fritters should be fairly thin with a creamy consistency inside when cooked. Sprinkle fritters with the mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Serve immediately.

Makes 20-25 fritters

 

When you clean you pumpkin, don't throw out those seeds. They make a wonderful snack when roasted. Go here for a great recipe. I sprinkled mine with Cajun seasoning before I toasted them. Yum!