Sesame Free Ginger-Turmeric Snapper Cakes with Carrot
These golden fish cakes are bright, aromatic, and genuinely exciting — the kind of thing that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in a home kitchen with no fuss. Fresh red snapper gets hand-chopped for real texture, then folded with grated carrot, punchy fresh ginger, and earthy turmeric before being pan-fried in coconut oil until deeply golden on both sides. The rice flour does the binding work here, keeping everything light and crisp without any wheat or hidden additives that can sneak into store-bought versions. For anyone navigating sesame allergies, fish cakes can be a minefield — so many recipes lean on sesame oil or tahini-based sauces for flavor — but this one builds all its depth from spice and fresh aromatics instead. The cool ricotta dipping sauce with parsley and apple cider vinegar is a genuinely clever pairing, cutting through the warmth of the turmeric and ginger with something creamy and bright. Squeezing the moisture out of the carrot and chilling the mixture before shaping are the two small steps that make the difference between cakes that hold together beautifully and ones that fall apart in the pan. Serve them straight off the skillet while the edges are still crispy and you'll have a hard time saving any for leftovers.
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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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