Suya-Spiced Morel Mushroom Fritters with Ramp-Tamarind Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• ▸40 g dried morel mushrooms, rehydrated in 300 ml warm water for 20 minutes, liquid reserved
• ▸120 g chickpea flour (besan)
• ▸30 g rice flour
• ▸1 tsp baking powder
• ▸2 tbsp suya spice blend (ground roasted groundnuts, ginger, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, cloves)
• ▸1 tsp ground crayfish, optional but strongly encouraged
• ▸0.5 tsp fine sea salt
• ▸120 ml cold sparkling water
• ▸60 ml reserved morel soaking liquid, strained through a fine sieve
• ▸6 wild garlic leaves (ramsons), finely sliced
• ▸1 litre neutral oil, for deep-frying
• ▸4 ramp bulbs (or 2 spring onions plus 1 extra garlic clove), roughly chopped
• ▸3 tbsp tamarind paste, from a block or concentrate
• ▸1 tbsp coconut aminos
• ▸1 tsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
• ▸1 small red chilli, deseeded and sliced
• ▸2 tbsp water
• ▸flaky sea salt, to finish

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Rehydrate the dried morels: place them in a bowl, cover with 300 ml warm (not boiling) water, and leave for 20 minutes. Lift them out gently, squeeze lightly, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel and set it aside. Halve any large morels lengthways.

2. 2

   2. Make the ramp-tamarind sauce while the mushrooms soak. Combine the chopped ramp bulbs, tamarind paste, coconut aminos, palm sugar, red chilli, and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the ramps soften slightly. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth, then taste and adjust: more tamarind for acid, more sugar for balance. Set aside at room temperature.

3. 3

   3. Make the batter. Whisk together the chickpea flour, rice flour, baking powder, suya spice blend, ground crayfish (if using), and fine sea salt in a large bowl. Add the cold sparkling water and 60 ml strained morel soaking liquid. Whisk until just combined — a few lumps are fine. The batter should coat the back of a spoon thickly. Fold in the sliced wild garlic leaves.

4. 4

   4. Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan or wok to 180°C (350°F). Use a thermometer; the temperature matters. Too low and the fritters absorb oil, too high and the batter burns before the mushrooms warm through.

5. 5

   5. Working in batches of 4 to 5, dip each morel half into the batter, letting excess drip off, then lower carefully into the hot oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until deep golden-brown and audibly crisp. Morels are already cooked through after rehydration, so you're purely chasing crust here.

6. 6

   6. Lift the fritters out with a spider or slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack set over a baking tray — not paper towels, which trap steam and soften the crust. Sprinkle immediately with flaky sea salt.

7. 7

   7. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms, returning the oil to 180°C between batches. Serve the fritters within 10 minutes alongside the ramp-tamarind sauce for dipping.

Variations

• ◆Swap morels for oyster mushrooms torn into wide strips during fresh morel season — the larger surface area catches more batter and delivers a meatier bite, though you'll lose some of that concentrated earthy depth.
• ◆Add 1 tsp fermented locust beans (iru/dawadawa) to the batter instead of ground crayfish for a deeper, more pungent umami note that leans further into West African pantry territory.
• ◆For a gluten-free version that's already nearly there, replace the baking powder with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and a small squeeze of lemon juice added directly to the batter just before frying.