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Mofo anana
Greens fritters
Mofo anana: crisp Malagasy street fritters of chopped greens, spring onion and chilli
Stalls along Analakely market in central Antananarivo stack mofo anana in paper cones from mid-morning, and they rarely last past lunch. Each fritter is mostly leaves held together with a thin, savoury batter, so the outside fries lacy and crisp while the inside stays soft and grassy, with a lift from spring onion, garlic and chilli. Eat them hot as a snack with a cup of ginger tea, or set a plate of them beside a bowl of broth and some sakay for dipping. The usual mistake is a batter that is too thick: it should only just bind the greens, otherwise you end up with a heavy, doughy pancake. Chef's tip: squeeze the chopped leaves in a clean tea towel before mixing; wet greens spit in the oil and make the fritters soggy.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ cup cold water
For the greens
- 9 oz spinach or mustard greensshop-bought; washed, stems removed, finely chopped
- 4 spring onionsthinly sliced
- 1 tomatoseeded and finely diced
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅓ oz fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 fresh red chillifinely chopped; seeds in for more heat
To fry
- 2 cups sunflower oilfor shallow frying, about 2 cm deep
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wrap 9 oz spinach or mustard greens in a clean tea towel and twist hard over the sink to squeeze out as much water as you can.
Step 2: Whisk 5 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ¾ tsp salt in a bowl, then whisk in ¾ cup cold water to make a smooth batter about as thick as single cream.
Step 3: Fold in the squeezed greens, 4 spring onions, 1 tomato, 2 garlic cloves, ⅓ oz fresh ginger and 1 fresh red chilli. The batter should just coat the leaves, with no pools of it at the bottom of the bowl.
Step 4: Heat 2 cups sunflower oil in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat until a drop of batter sizzles at once and rises to the surface (about 350°F).
5 minStep 5: Drop in heaped tablespoons of the mixture, flattening each one a little with the back of the spoon, and leave room between them. Fry until deep golden and crisp underneath, then turn and fry the other side.
4 minStep 6: Lift out onto kitchen paper and repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches. Serve hot, with sakay.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mofo anana take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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