Cinnamon Free Ginger-Turmeric Snapper Cakes with Carrot
These golden fish cakes are a serious weeknight win — bright, aromatic, and packed with flavor from fresh ginger, ground turmeric, and sweet grated carrot. Hand-chopping the snapper keeps the texture satisfyingly chunky rather than pasty, and the rice flour binds everything together without weighing the cakes down. Coconut oil gives each cake a beautifully crisp, deep-golden crust that holds up perfectly when you flip them. The cool ricotta dipping sauce with parsley and a splash of apple cider vinegar is the ideal counterpoint to all that warm, earthy spice. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to cinnamon, this recipe is a genuinely exciting option — every ingredient is straightforward, and there's no spice blend or pre-mixed seasoning hiding anything unexpected. It's the kind of dish that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together with simple, clean pantry staples and a hot skillet.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the cakes
- 1 lb fresh red snapper fillets, skin removed, pin bones removed
- 1 cup finely grated carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, for frying
For the dipping sauce
- ½ cup fresh ricotta
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the dipping sauce: stir together the ricotta, parsley, apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl until smooth. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the cakes.
- 2
Pat the snapper fillets completely dry with paper towels, then finely chop them by hand into pieces no larger than 1/4 inch — do not use a food processor, as the fish should have some texture, not become a paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
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