Like any good Southerner, fried green tomatoes have always been one of my favorite foods. Even as an extremely picky child, I would always eat them when my mom or grandma made them.
It feels like full summer already here in Florida, and the tomatoes are coming in strong at the local farmer's markets. I saw these beautiful "Granny Smith" green tomatoes for sale from one of my favorite farms and I just couldn't resist them. I knew I would be able to come up with a paleo-friendly batter for frying them that would've made Mom proud.
I decided to try a tempura-style batter using Otto's Cassava Flour as the base. Seriously, y'all, this flour is my new favorite ingredient in the kitchen. It is so versatile and makes an excellent sub for wheat flour in your old favorite recipes. It is what I used to make my Paleo King Cake for Mardi Gras and I've also used it to bread salmon patties and am developing some other recipes, too.
If you don't have cassava flour, you can also use my other favorite paleo flour instead: plantain. You can buy it or make it yourself (links to instructions in this recipe).
The combination of tapioca starch and cassava flour makes this batter light and crunchy and allergy friendly since it is nut-free, seed-free, egg-free, and coconut-free.
I know this can get confusing so here's a quick explanation about the difference between tapioca starch and cassava flour.
Both are derived from yuca, which is a tropical root that is a staple starch in many traditional Latin American cuisines. I've got a few recipes on my site that use it. It makes a great starchy nightshade-free and low FODMAP substitute for potatoes.
Yuca is known by many names: cassava, manioc, tapioca. A flour can be made from either the whole dried root or from the extracted starch. In general, the convention for naming goes like this: the starch is labeled tapioca starch or, confusingly, tapioca flour. True flour made from the whole dried and ground root is usually called cassava or manioc flour. There are some exceptions - I have seen "cassava starch" that is truly starch and also "tapioca flour" that is actually the whole root flour and not starch.
Clear as mud, right? I know it's confusing. Check out Otto's FAQ page for more info and tips on how to tell the starch from the flour. And be sure to buy a bag to start experimenting with in your paleo kitchen!
Hope you enjoy these crunchy, tart, savory fried green tomatoes! They are a great breakfast side, snack or appetizer, or the perfect side dish with supper.
Paleo Fried Green Tomatoes (tempura style)
Enjoy fried green tomatoes again on your paleo or gluten-free diet with these tempura-style beauties!
Ingredients
- 2 green tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch (plus extra as needed)
- 2 Tbsp cassava or plantain flour
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp unrefined salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp sparkling water
- avocado oil, lard, ghee, or tallow for frying
Cooking Directions
- Choose a small frying pan so you don't have to use too much fat. Add enough fat so that it covers the bottom of the pan and heat over medium while you prep everything else.
- Place the 1/4 cup of tapioca starch in one bowl. Grab a second bowl to make the batter from the cassava or plantain flour, the 2 Tbsp tapioca starch, garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper. Stir dry ingredients together to combine and then add sparking water, stirring until a thick batter forms.
- Slice the green tomatoes into thick slices and dredge in the tapioca starch, then dip in the batter. Remove from batter and allow excess to drip off, then CAREFULLY place in the hot fat in your frying pan.
- Cook until the batter has turned a golden brown color and the tomato can easily be lifted from the pan, about 2-4 minutes. Flip and repeat. You can let them cook longer if you prefer very crispy/browned food, but be careful not to burn them.
- Remove from the pan and let drain and cool on a paper towel-lined plate for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy immediately!
- These go great with some mayonnaise as a dipping sauce. If you are like me and hate to make it yourself at home, try the new Primal Kitchens Mayo. I am extremely picky when it comes to mayonnaise and I approve of this stuff. I just set up auto-shipping for 3 jars a month!
Recommended Ingredients:
These are the ingredients that I use in my own kitchen and think you will enjoy, too! These are available from my trusted affiliate partners. I only recommend products that I truly love!
