Food

15 Sweet and Savory Fritters and Croquettes From Around the World

Little fried snacks: a global love story

By SAVEUR Editors

August 4, 2016

There are a few things that seem to be common throughout the entire human race, and one of those things is a love for fried food. All over the world people fry handheld foods, because it just tastes so good. Jamaica chose the sweet route with fried bananas with cinnamon-sugar and rum, while Rome went savory with fried beef croquettes. India is the master of fried snacks, anywhere from vegetable fritters, to fried chickpea-battered potatoes, they know how to fry their food. If you can't get enough of fried snacks, take a look at how the world fries their food with our best global fritters recipes.

Modernist Latkes — A creamy mashed potato filling is coated in instant mashed potato flakes and potato starch before being pan-fried to a flawless golden crust. Get the recipe for Modernist Latkes »Helen Rosner

Padang-Style Mashed Potato Fritters (Perkedel Kenteng) — To make these crisp-crusted fritters, mashed potatoes blended with pan-fried shallots and freshly grated nutmeg are dipped in beaten egg and fried. Get the recipe for Padang-Style Mashed Potato Fritters (Perkedel Kenteng) »Ingalls Photography

Banana Fritters with Cinnamon-Sugar and Rum — Use very ripe organic bananas for these silver-dollar-size fritters, as they will mash the best and create a smooth, sweet batter. Get the recipe for Jamaican Banana Fritters with Cinnamon-Sugar and Rum »Matt Taylor-Gross

Mexican Zucchini Latkes — Zucchini don't have as much starch as potatoes, but they do make great latkes. Get the recipe for Mexican Zucchini Latkes »Matt Taylor-Gross

Roman Beef Croquettes — Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, these fried croquettes made with braised beef make great party appetizers. Get the recipe for Roman Beef Croquettes »Matt Taylor-Gross

Ham & Smoked Mozzarella Fritters — Coiled strands of spaghetti soak up a creamy sauce in these delectable fried ham and cheese fritters. Get the recipe for Ham & Smoked Mozzarella Fritters »Matt Taylor-Gross

Pakoras (Indian Vegetable Fritters) — Crispy chickpea-battered vegetable fritters are a popular street-food snack throughout India. This recipe calls for potatoes and onion, but cauliflower florets, eggplant slices, or plantains can also be used. Get the recipe for Indian Vegetable Fritters (Pakoras) »James Roper

Cabbage Fritters (Cabbage Vepadu) — A popular item in the mess halls of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, these spidery-looking cabbage-and-peanut fritters can be served as part of a meal or as a crunchy snack. Get the recipe for Cabbage Fritters (Cabbage Vepadu) »Ingalls Photography

Chickpea Fritters in Curry (Besan Curry) — This Jain-style curry pairs airy chickpea fritters with a creamy, tangy sauce. Get the recipe for Chickpea Fritters in Curry (Besan Curry) »Ingalls Photography

Pigeon Pea Fritters with Yogurt-Tomato Sauce (Vadai Pachadi) — In Tamil-speaking households, a combination of fritters with sauce is referred to as vadai pachadi. Served for weddings and religious holidays, these spicy fritters get their signature crunch from yellow split peas and are topped with a creamy, tangy yogurt-tomato sauce. Get the recipe for Pigeon Pea Fritters with Yogurt-Tomato Sauce (Vadai Pachadi) »Ingalls Photography

Polish Bow Tie Fritters — Also referred to as angel wings, these sugar-dusted fritters are both crunchy and pillowy. Get the recipe for Krisciki »Todd Coleman

Fried Stuffed Castelvetrano Olives — Making for a substantial snack, Rosa Pepe stuffs olives with a simple beef and pork filling; then dredges them in breadcrumbs before crisping them up in the deep-fryer. Get the recipe for Fried Stuffed Castelvetrano Olives »Romulo Yanes

Fried Chickpea-Battered Potatoes (Bhajiya) — For this Mumbai street-food snack from Raghavan Iyer, chunks of potato are dredged in a light chickpea-and-rice-flour batter that is spiced with turmeric and chile powder. The potatoes are then deep fried until a golden crust forms and served with cilantro and tamarind chutneys. Get the recipe for Fried Chickpea-Battered Potatoes (Bhajiya) »Ingalls Photography

Fish and Potato Tikkis with Chile and Lime — A simple Indian croquette with fish, bold hits of cumin and green chile, and a refreshing mint chutney. Get the recipe for Indian Fish and Potato Tikkis »Matt Taylor-Gross

Pimento Cheese Hush Puppies — These hushpuppies—little cornbread fritters you could eat like popcorn—get a dose of zesty pimento cheese for extra richness. Get the recipe for Pimento Cheese Hush Puppies »Matt Taylor-Gross

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