Crispy spring onion fritters

Ingredients

• 10 spring onions, green part only, cut into 3cm lengths
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 Asian shallot, finely sliced
• 1 tsp hot paprika powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cm ginger, peeled, pounded
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, pounded
• 5 tbsp rice flour
• 3 tbsp glutinous rice flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 125 ml  beer
• 500 ml peanut oil, for deep-frying
• 10 lotus flowers

Tamarind dipping sauce

• ½ cup tamarind water (see Note)
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp pounded ginger
• ½ tsp pounded garlic
• ½ tsp dried chili flakes
• 1 tsp sliced coriander

Instructions

To prepare the tamarind dipping sauce, in a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

Place the spring onion, tomato, shallot, paprika, salt, ginger and garlic in a bowl. Add the flours and baking powder, and mix to combine. Gradually add the beer until the mixture begins to stick together.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Grab a clump of the mixture, pinch it together and drop into the oil, fry in batches for 2-3 minutes, turning over halfway, until golden brown and crisp.

Wrap the fritters with a lotus flower. Serve with the tamarind dipping sauce.

Note

To make the tamarind water dissolve 300g tamarind pulp with 250g warm water. Work the pulp until dissolved and then strain the liquid through a fine seive, discard the pulp and measure out ½ cup to use.