Greek · Authentic-ish Greek
Ntomatokeftedes
210 kcal a serving, against 362 for the traditional version. That is 152 kcal off, or 42%, with 11.4g of protein. Serves 6. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A very wet, loose batter of diced fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, mint and plain flour, dropped by the heavy spoonful into a frying pan full of hot olive oil. They fry until they form a shattered, crispy crust, soaking up vast amounts of fat along the way.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-frying in 150g of olive oil down to a brushed baking tray
Frying wet tomato batter forces it to absorb fat instantly. Baking the fritters on a ferociously hot, oiled tray cuts the oil drastically while still cooking the batter all the way through.
What it costs you. You miss that shattering, deep-fried crust. Baked fritters are softer and lack the heavy, greasy satisfaction of the original.
Plain flour down to gram flour and whole eggs
Plain flour is pure starch. Gram flour is made from chickpeas and brings a serious hit of fibre and protein. The eggs are essential to bind the mixture now that it isn't being set by boiling oil.
What it costs you. Gram flour tastes noticeably nutty. So: a distinct flavour that competes a bit with the sweet tomatoes, which means the dish shifts away from its simple origins. A neutral background was never on the table once the fat came out.
Adding 150g of feta to the batter
Traditional tomato fritters rely on the fat from the fryer for their richness. Since I strip that away, the dish needs something savoury to fill the gap. Feta brings sharpness and a vast hit of protein.
What it costs you. Purists will hate this. It turns a pure tomato dish into a cheese dish, and you lose some of the delicate sweetness of the fresh fruit.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 362 | 210 |
| Protein | 5.1g | 11.4g |
| Fat | 23.7g | 10.6g |
| Saturated fat | 3.3g | 4.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 33.7g | 18.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.4g | 5.4g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Greek prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
You give up the crunch of the fryer, which is a genuine loss. What you get back is a firm, savoury cake packed with sharp cheese and sweet tomato. You can eat a massive plateful and feel fantastic afterwards. It proves you don't need a deep fryer to make great Greek food.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Greek, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback