Enjoy These Tasty Three Greek Fried Patty Dishes

Keftedes me Prassa

Petite pan-fried patties, often referred to as keftedes, stand as a treasured delicacy in Jewish cooking. These particular leek croquettes offer a delicious fusion of rich minced beef with the subtle, mildly sweet flavour of fresh leeks, rendering them truly addictive.

Makes 12

  • 4 leeks
  • 250g ground beef
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp matzo meal
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
  • Lemon slices, to accompany

Wash the leeks properly and trim off the roots and the majority of the green tops. Slice lengthwise lengthways then into 1.5-centimeter rounds. Transfer in a deep frying pan and cover with cold water, then heat over a medium flame for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Strain the cooked leeks and place in a mixing bowl with the beef, eggs, crumbs, fresh dill, parsley and spice and spice well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using your palms then shape a couple of spoonfuls into a croquette, flattening a slightly. Place on a plate and repeat for the remaining of the mixture.

Heat olive oil in a pan to a amount of about 2 centimeters over a medium heat. When the olive oil is ready, cook the croquettes in small groups until golden brown on all sides. (Avoid overcrowding the pan as this lowers the heat of the oil.) Remove the ready croquettes to a dish lined with kitchen paper and permit to drain.

Offer with fresh lemon.

Spinach Croquettes

These spinach and cheese croquettes are a real pleasure. The golden exterior opens up to a soft filling. The leafy spinach adds a bright, moderately earthy taste, while the grated cheese gives a savory, flavorful richness. It's possible to replace the dairy cheese with cooked, mashed potato if you like.

Makes 16–18

  • 1kg spinach leaves (or else about 500g frozen spinach, softened for several hours in the fridge)
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced small
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 100g kefalotyri, grated
  • 80g soft cheese
  • ½ tsp fresh nutmeg
  • ½ tsp mild spice
  • 120g crumbs (1¼ cups), plus extra if necessary
  • 3 fresh eggs
  • Cooking oil for pan-frying (or alternatively vegetable oil)
  • Lemon slices, to serve

For fresh spinach, clean it carefully, discarding any stalks, and coarsely chop it into large chunks. Put in a deep pan with a bit of water over a medium heat. Once softened, remove in a sieve for about 15 minutes, then squeeze out any remaining moisture and reserve.

If using defrosted spinach, thoroughly remove excess liquid.

Warm the cooking oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and saute the onion and minced garlic until tender, about four minutes. Take off the flame.

Put the prepared spinach, fried onion and sauteed garlic, hard cheese, soft cheese, grated nutmeg, red spice, breading and eggs in a large bowl and flavor with seasoning. Mix thoroughly until combined. If the preparation seems too wet, incorporate some additional breadcrumbs.

By hand, form the mixture into oval croquettes somewhat larger than a walnut shell but more compact than an chicken egg, and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat oil to a amount of about half an inch. Cook the patties a small batch for a couple of minutes each side, flipping so they are golden brown all over, then transfer on absorbent paper.

Present with lemon slices.

Lentil Patties

Boasting a crunchy outside and soft inside, these croquettes are not only tasty but also a wonderfully healthy snack or dish.

Produces 12

  • 45g brown lentils (0.25 cup)
  • 90g bulgur wheat (½ cup)
  • 125ml extra virgin oil (0.5 cup)
  • 1 large onion, chopped small
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint, diced
  • 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • Pepper and salt, to preference
  • Creamy yogurt and lemon slices, to garnish

Put the brown lentils in a pan and fill with plenty of cold water. Cook over a medium heat for about 20 mins or until nearly done, pouring extra liquid to maintain the pulses immersed if necessary.

Stir in the cracked wheat and proceed cooking until softened. Strain the ingredients well and reserve in a mixing bowl.

Preheat 50% of the

Jay Wilson
Jay Wilson

Astrophysicist and science communicator passionate about making complex space concepts accessible to everyone.