Frituras de malanga are classic Cuban fried fritters that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are easy to make with just a few ingredients, such as malanga, parsley, and garlic!
Ingredients
It takes only five ingredients to make frituras de malanga.
- Malanga: Fresh is best, but frozen can also be used in it's place.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley gives your frituras de malanga a nice herby flavor. Dried parsley can also be used; use half the amount.
- Garlic: Garlic cloves or garlic powder.
- Egg: Used to bind the ingredients together.
- Salt: A pinch of salt goes a long way.
- Oil: To deep fry these malanga fritters, use neutral oil with a high smoke point. Vegetable oil, canola oil, or corn oil all work great.
Alternative ingredients
Customize your malanga fritters by using different ingredients.
- Root vegetables: Mix or match your malanga mixture with yuca (cassava), taro root, or name (white yam).
- Herbs: In Puerto Rico, cilantro is the herb of choice. Swap your parsley for cilantro for a Puerto Rican frituras de malanga twist.
- Seasonings: A pinch of adobo seasoning, onion powder, or black pepper can add more depth of flavor to your savory fritter. Cumin is also a spice used often in Cuban cuisine.
- Spicy: Add a splash of hot sauce to make spicy malanga fritters.
A popular Puerto Rican fritters recipe is bacalaitos.
Tools
To prepare frituras de malanga, you must transform your malanga into a thick paste by finely grating it.
You can achieve this using either a box grater for a more traditional approach or a food processor for quicker and easier preparation.
Instructions
- Make your malanga mixture.
- First, remove the thin malanga skin using a small, sharp knife or a potato peeler.
- Next, grate the malanga using either a box grater for a more hands-on approach or a food processor for quicker, more consistent results. Place the grated malanga into a large mixing bowl.
- Finally, combine the grated malanga with all other ingredients, except for the oil, in a mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly but gently to ensure the mixture is well-blended.
- Fry the frituras de malanga.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottom frying pan over medium-high heat. Use enough oil to fry your frituras.
- Tip: Use a smaller frying pan to use less oil. It may mean more batches, but it's a great way to save some money.
- Once the oil is hot, gently drop a spoonful of the fritura mixture into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it.
- Fry until the malanga fritters are golden brown on both sides, 2-3 minutes or 3-4 minutes, depending on how hot the oil is.
- Remove the malanga fritters from the pan and drain them on paper towels.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottom frying pan over medium-high heat. Use enough oil to fry your frituras.
This easy Cuban recipe is great to enjoy with a cold beverage like horchata de ajonjoli on a hot summer day.
More Latin fried recipes you may love
Malanga Fritters
These easy-to-make Cuban malanga fritters are small, savory fried fritters that are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Ingredients
- 1 pound malanga (grated)
- 2 cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 egg
- 2 cups vegetable oil (or until it reaches one inch in pan)
Instructions
Malanga Mixture
- Pulse malanga until shredded in a food processor, or use a hand grater to create a thick paste.
- Add grated malanga into a large bowl and combine with remaining ingredients, except for the oil.
Frying Malanga Fritters
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a frying pan with at least an inch of oil.
- Add the malanga mixture a teaspoon at a time, being sure to not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry until one side is golden brown, then flip and continue to fry until the other side is also golden brown. This takes about 2-4 minutes, in total. Lower the heat to medium, if needed.
- Remove fried malanga and allow it to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Continue frying remaining malanga in batches.
Notes
- 1 pound of malanga is about 2 medium-sized malanga vegetables.
- Eat right away. I would not reheat this, as it is best fresh.
- Refrigerating the malanga mixture for up to twenty minutes before frying may help if you find your malanga mixture is too runny.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
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Linda says
Can this recipe be made ahead of time and reheated for serving?
Neyssa says
Yes! They might not taste as fresh but they are still delicious!:)