Walnut Free Ginger-Turmeric Snapper Cakes with Carrot
These golden fish cakes are a serious weeknight upgrade — fragrant with fresh ginger and turmeric, packed with sweet shredded carrot, and pan-fried in coconut oil until the edges are deeply caramelized and irresistible. The snapper is hand-chopped rather than blitzed in a food processor, which gives each cake a satisfying, meaty texture that holds together beautifully in the pan. Rice flour keeps the whole thing light and naturally gluten-free without any heavy breading, and the cool ricotta dipping sauce with parsley and apple cider vinegar cuts right through the warmth of the spices. For anyone navigating tree nut concerns, this recipe is completely built around whole, straightforward ingredients — no nut oils, no nut-based flours, nothing hiding in the sauce. The anti-inflammatory punch from the turmeric and ginger makes these feel almost virtuous, even though they taste like something you'd order at a restaurant. A quick chill before frying firms the mixture up and makes shaping a breeze, so the process is more relaxed than you might expect for a from-scratch fish cake.
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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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