Sweet Crispy Potato Fritters (Karkariya)
These unique sweet fritters, known as Karkariya, transform humble potatoes into a delightful Parsi-Gujarati dessert or tea-time snack. Mashed potatoes are blended with wheat flour, sugar, and aromatic rose water, then lightened with beaten egg whites to create a fluffy interior encased in a crispy, golden-brown shell. Deep-fried in ghee and spiced with nutmeg, they offer a fascinating texture that is both savory-sweet and deeply comforting.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Potatoes (Good quality, boiled and mashed. Originally '0.5 ratal'.)
- 1/4 pound Wheat flour (Sifted. Originally '0.25 ratal'.)
- 1/4 pound Powdered sugar (Originally '0.25 ratal'.)
- 2 large Eggs (Separated into yolks and whites.)
- 1/4 cup Milk (Originally '0.5 pasher' (approx 1/8 seer).)
- 2 teaspoons Rose water (Or 12 drops of rose essence.)
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg (Originally '2 crushed nutmegs', reduced for modern palate.)
- 1 teaspoon Ghee (For the mixture.)
- 2 cups Ghee (For deep frying (quantity estimated).)
- 1 pinch Baking soda (Optional. Originally '1/6 val' (approx 0.06g).)
Instructions
- 1Boil the potatoes until soft. Peel them and mash thoroughly until very smooth and free of lumps.
- 2Mix 1 teaspoon of ghee into the warm mashed potatoes. Add the wheat flour, powdered sugar, egg yolks, milk, rose water, ground nutmeg, and baking soda (if using). Mix well until combined.
- 3In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the potato mixture until just combined, being careful not to deflate the batter.
- 4Heat the ghee in a deep frying pan or kadhai over medium heat. When the ghee is hot, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the pan. Fry until one side is golden red, then flip and fry the other side until crisp and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain excess ghee.