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
Recipe
Malanga Fritters
Equipment
- food processor
- box grater
- stove
- frying pan
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.
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!:)