Vegan MoFo: Okra Fritters with Horseradish Creme

It's Day 10 of Vegan MoFo...we're into the double digits! whoa! The Iron Chef Vegan Challenge this week was to pair okra and horseradish. This challenge is from the Post Punk Kitchen forums, fyi. Check out their website for some awesome recipes!

I was really excited about this challenge, because I love okra and I had just bought some at the farmers' market! It was meant to be. For my dish, I made Crispy Okra Fritters with Horseradish Creme. Ohmigosh these are good! I have been tweaking the recipe in my mind for a few days now, and I got it all figured out yesterday; so dinner tonight was a perfect opportunity to try 'em out!

I used fresh horseradish root, got it at Whole Foods...
The fritters are pan-fried and then baked to finish them off...mmmm. Make these soon, before all the good okra is gone!

Crispy Okra Fritters with Horseradish Creme (makes 10-12 fritters)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup soymilk

1/2 cup beer (apple juice would work too; but add 1 Tbs vinegar if using)

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp hot sauce or more to taste

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 pinch cayenne

2-3 cups sliced fresh okra

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, soymilk, beer, sugar, and hot sauce until well mixed and smooth. Sift in the flour, cornmeal, spices, and baking powder. Stir until just combined. Fold in the sliced okra. Pour oil into a skillet, to 1" deep, and heat over medium-high heat. Oil is hot enough when a bit of batter or water poured into it sizzles.

Pour 1/2 cup of the batter into the heated oil and cook on 3-4 minutes per side, until browned. 3-4 fritters should fit in the pan, depending on its size. Repeat until all the batter is used. When removing each fritter from the pan, transfer to a sheet pan. When all of the fritters are fried and transferred, bake for 10-12 minutes, until firm, but not overcooked. Serve hot with horseradish creme on top or on the side for dipping.

Horseradish Creme ( makes 2 cups-ish)

12 oz. block of silken tofu

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/4 cup soymilk

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried dill or 2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup horseradish root, peeled and diced

1 tsp olive oil

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the horseradish and saute for 5 minutes until golden. Add the sliced garlic and saute for 30 seconds, until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. When cooled, combine all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

I served mine with some Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh from Veganomicon and sauteed kale.

It was awesome!