Tomatokeftedes (Santorini Tomato Fritters)
Local name: Ντοματοκεφτέδες
In short: Crisp, juicy Santorini-style fritters of chopped ripe tomato, red onion and mint, fried until golden and served hot as a meze. It takes about 45 min in total and makes 5 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 5
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 265 kcal
These crisp, herby tomato fritters are best known from the island of Santorini, where small, intensely flavored tomatoes grow with very little water. Chopped tomato, red onion and mint are bound with just enough flour to hold together, then fried until crunchy outside and juicy inside. Serve them hot as a meze with lemon wedges or a garlic dip such as skordalia.
Instructions
- Toss the chopped tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of salt in a sieve set over a bowl. Let them drain for 15 minutes, pressing lightly now and then. Save the juice for soup or sauce.
- Tip the tomatoes into a bowl. Add the onion, mint, parsley, oregano and pepper and mix.
- Mix the flour and baking powder, then stir them into the tomatoes a little at a time until you have a thick batter that falls from the spoon in clumps. Rest for 10 minutes. If it turns loose, add a spoon more flour.
- Pour oil into a wide, heavy frying pan to a depth of 1 cm (1/2 inch). Heat over medium-high heat until a drop of batter sizzles at once.
- Drop in heaped tablespoons of batter, 5 or 6 at a time, and flatten each slightly. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp. Adjust the heat so they do not brown before the centers cook.
- Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve right away, with lemon wedges or skordalia.
Tips
- Draining the tomatoes is the key step. Too much juice makes the fritters soggy and the batter falls apart in the oil.
- Fry a test fritter first. If it breaks apart, stir in a spoon more flour. If it is dense, loosen the batter with a splash of the drained tomato juice.
Questions and answers
Which tomatoes are best for tomatokeftedes?
Small, very ripe, flavorful tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes work best. Larger tomatoes are fine if you chop them finely and drain them for longer.
Can I bake tomatokeftedes instead of frying them?
You can bake them on an oiled, preheated tray at 220°C (425°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, but they will be softer. Shallow frying gives the best crust.
Are tomato fritters vegan?
Yes. They contain only vegetables, herbs, flour and oil, with no eggs or dairy. Serve them with a dairy-free dip for a fully vegan plate.
How long does it take to make Tomatokeftedes (Santorini Tomato Fritters)?
About 45 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Tomatokeftedes (Santorini Tomato Fritters)?
About 265 kcal per serving, with 5 g of protein, 36 g of carbohydrates and 11 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 265 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
