Malanga Fritters

Name: Malanga Fritters
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Cuba
Ingredients: 800 g malanga or taro; 3 garlic cloves; 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley; 2 eggs; 1½ tsp salt; Black pepper; Juice of half a lime; 1 litre frying oil

Local name: Frituras de malanga

Grated taro fritters seasoned with garlic and parsley, sold on Havana street corners for generations.

Published on 15 August 2026·Updated on 10 September 2026

Gluten-free#taro#fritters#garlic#frying#havana

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Peel the malanga and grate it on the fine side of a grater. It gives a sticky pulp that binds without flour.
Squeeze the lime over the pulp and stir, which keeps the flesh from darkening.
Chop the garlic and parsley by knife and add them to the pulp.
Beat the eggs and fold them in with the salt and pepper. The batter should drop heavily off a spoon.
Heat the oil to 180°C. Test with a drop of batter, which should surface within three seconds.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil without crowding the pan.
Fry for 3 minutes per side, until the edges turn ragged and brown. Drain and salt them.

Malanga holds enough starch to bind on its own. Any added flour weighs the batter down and kills the ragged lacy edges that make the fritter worth eating.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

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Frequently asked questions

Should I add flour to hold the batter together?

No. Finely grated malanga releases enough starch to bind on its own. Flour weighs the batter down and kills the ragged lacy edges that make the fritter.

Why pour lime juice over the grated root?

Grated malanga darkens on contact with air. The lime juice slows that down, keeps the inside pale and adds a little acidity at the same time.

How do I make these without eggs?

The eggs mostly act as a secondary binder and loosen the mix. Since the malanga starch already binds, you can leave them out and add a spoonful of water if the mixture turns too stiff; the batter should still drop heavily off the spoon.

Why falafel falls apart in the pan
One mistake explains the overwhelming majority of falafel that disintegrates in hot oil. The six other causes, and why flour and egg fix nothing.

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