This delicious & tempting halloumi fritters will please even the pickiest of eaters from infants (8 months+) toddlers, teenagers and adults. These fritters are quick to whip up, big on taste and great for the budget-conscious family.
We love our fritters!
One late night I was half watching a cooking show on TV when one of the chefs caught my attention. He confidently said, ‘phenomenal fritters can be made using any key ingredient’. Since then I got creative and threw random stuff in my fritters and I have to say they were all damn tasty!
Our family can’t get enough of fritters because they are delicious and easy to make. I have so many fritter recipes floating in my head that I am waiting to try out! The possibilities are endless, fritters made with prawns or mushroom, maybe lentils or even olives, YUM!
This fritter recipe uses frozen peas and the dangerously addictive halloumi as the key ingredients. They go nicely together as the peas provide relief from the saltiness of the halloumi. The dried herbs and spices also add a wonderful burst of flavour to the fritters.
We had a small family gathering last weekend and I made a batch of halloumi and peas fritters for everyone to snack on. I watched my entire family devour the fritters in seconds, I was so pleased that my fussy nine-month-old and my equally fussy parents loved it so much!
These fritters have 1.5 cups of peas in it so it must mean it’s healthy right? Maybe I’m pushing my luck with this one, but I do feel better giving this to my baby knowing he is eating lots of veggies with every bite.
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Halloumi cheese
Halloumi is a hard cheese that comes with a small amount of brine. It has a springy and chewy texture which is similar to tofu and has an addictive salty and savoury taste. Haloumi is often fried or grilled before eating and keeps its shape when cooking. You can read more about halloumi cheese in my glossary page.
FLASHBACK TIME – To the first time I tried halloumi without even knowing what it was. My friend and I were at a Greek restaurant sharing a seafood platter when I bit into what I thought was battered fish. I remembered thinking what is this salty strange food but I couldn’t stop eating it.
That was around 2o years ago and when halloumi was relatively unknown to the world of foodies. So we skip forward to a few decades and find out that halloumi fever hits us hard! because it’s everywhere in salads, burgers and chips. Supermarkets even ran out of frozen halloumi chips due to the high demands!
The blogging community also scrambled to outdo each other and posted their best homemade halloumi chips recipes. I tried a few recipes and experimented with my own ingredients but I am still yet to be satisfied with the end results. If anyone has any recipe recommendations please ping me!
Ingredients needed for halloumi and pea fritters
Living with Covid-19 means no more browsing leisurely at the supermarket and looking for specific ingredients. This recipe is great for us because we have all the ingredients in our pantry including halloumi.
For those of us that have a thrifty side, you will be pleased to know that these fritters are also cheap to make. The halloumi is the most expensive ingredient at $5.25 (USD 3.75) so this is a very budget-friendly recipe.
I used frozen baby peas as they are sweeter and the skin is not as tough as regular peas but any variety will work. I have used mix frozen veggies instead of peas and it worked well but I still prefer the peas and halloumi together.
Fresh herbs can be used in place of the dried herbs and you can use your own favourite herbs and spices to suit your taste.
How to make halloumi pea fritters
Step-by-step guide with photos
The halloumi needs to be chopped finely or grated so if you are lazy like me a get a food processor with a grater attachment, it will save your life.
The peas can be cooked frozen but I microwaved mine for a minute and then pulsed it in a food processor. I did this extra step for Kai as he is still learning how to chew his food properly.
It’s so simple to make halloumi pea fritters in just 3 steps:
1. Heat oil and melt butter in a frypan, add in garlic and peas.
2. Make the batter, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well
3. Cook the fritters!
It’s best to use a good non-stick frypan when frying the fritters because you will use less oil this way. I drizzle a tablespoon of oil in my pan to begin with and spray the uncooked side of the fritter with oil before flipping them over. By doing this there was enough oil to cook the whole batch without the need to add more.
Halloumi doesn’t melt completely like other common cheeses and it holds its shape whilst cooking. However, be careful as it can burn or char very easily if cooked for too long or on high heat. It is best to cook halloumi on low to medium heat so it will cook through without burning.
To keep the fritters warm whilst cooking the remaining batter, place the cooked fritters on a plate and cover it with a clean tea towel.
Feeding baby & how to store the fritters
This is a great baby-led weaning recipe as the fritters are easy for babies to pick up and feed themselves. I recommend feeding fritters to babies that are over 8 months as younger babies may have problems digesting the salty halloumi and the peas.
These fritters are best eaten immediately so you can enjoy a soft and melty texture form the halloumi. The fritters will still be tasty cold but it will go firmer from the halloumi hardening. To serve, they are yummy on their own but can be enjoyed with lemon, Greek yoghurt or sour cream.
Store leftover fritters in a sealed container in a fridge and they will keep for 3 days. To freeze, individually wrap the fritters in clingwrap and they will keep for 2 months. To reheat, thaw the fritters and cook in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through or zap it in the microwave for a few minutes.
This recipe makes 10 fritters but you might end up with less when done because the temptation to eat them while they are cooking in the frypan is overwhelming!
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
Halloumi and pea fritters
Ingredients
- 15 gm unsalted butter
- 1 tsp light olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas (whole or pulsed NOTE 1)
- 250 gm halloumi cheese (chopped finely or grated)
- 2 tsp dried chives
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp oil for frying and oil spray (NOTE 2)
BATTER:
- ½ cup plain flour
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL) :
- Lemon, Greek yoghurt or sour cream Optional
Instructions
- In a frypan on medium heat melt the butter with the olive oil, add in the garlic and stir for 10 seconds, add in the peas and cook for a further 2 minutes or until cook through. Leave the peas to cool off slightly in the pan.
- Combine all the batter ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add in the peas and the rest of the ingredients (excluding the oils) into the batter and mix well.
- Drizzle oil in a large non-stick frypan and let it heat up for 3O seconds on low to medium heat. Scoop 3 to 4 (1/4) cups of batter into the pan and gently flatten them with a spatular. Leave the fritters to cook untouched for 2 to 3 minutes. Before flipping over the fritter, spray the uncooked side generously with oil. The fritters are done when the batter binds together and the fritters are golden.
- Serve on its own or with lemon, sour cream or Greek yoghurt.
Quick n yummy recipe ?
Thank you for visiting us, Esther!