Santorini Tomato Fritters (Tomatokeftedes)–Authentic Greek Recipe – My Greek Table w/Diane Kochilas

Experience the authentic flavors of Santorini with this traditional Tomato Fritters (Tomatokeftedes) recipe, featured in Diane Kochilas’ “My Greek Table” Santorini episode! These crispy, herb-packed fritters are a beloved Greek meze, blending sweet tomatoes, fresh herbs, and savory salt cod for a unique island twist. Perfect as an appetizer, snack, or vegetarian main, this easy recipe brings the sun-drenched tastes of the Greek islands right to your kitchen. Follow along for step-by-step instructions and expert tips for the juiciest, most flavorful fritters.

Ingredients:

1 salt cod fillet (about 1 ½ lbs), desalted

2 red onions, finely chopped

10 scallions, chopped

Salt, to taste

3 lbs small, firm tomatoes (grape tomatoes recommended)

3 small zucchini, grated (use only the outer part)

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

3 tbsp dried mint

Black pepper, to taste

3–6 cups all-purpose flour, as needed

Corn oil for frying

Make these classic Santorini tomato fritters for your next gathering and enjoy a true taste of Greece!

I’m here at the home and farm of Kirya Margarita to learn the secrets of one of Santorini’s iconic dishes, a tomato fritter. So, the first thing that Kir Margarita is doing is cutting the onions. I’ve never seen anyone cutting an onion like this, very finely cut, very fast with a very small knife. She needs the onion with this handful of sea salt and that softens them up. That’s the whole point here. The next thing is the tomatoes. Ah, she puts them whole in here. I wouldn’t have imagined that. She’s going to do the zucchini next. She takes out the seed bed because that has a lot of moisture. She doesn’t want the final tomato fritter to be soft and soggy. That’s amazing. She’s going to cut the basil next. This is salt cod that she has soaked in some water to get the salt out. This is black pepper. She’s going to add a little mint. And this is obviously mint that she’s collected from her own garden. She just added about a pound of flour to this. She just told me that the secret to making this dish is not to add any water. This is the consistency. Very thick. This gets fried as it is. It’s not fled. it’s not shaped. She drops a pretty big spoonful in the frying pan and then spreads it around with her spoon so that the actual mixture is flat and that way it cooks a little bit faster and a little more easily. [Music] The best part about this I can see it from now is the whole tomato. Look at that. It’s not at all greasy, but really crunchy, crispy, and the cod, it gives it a certain, how can I put it? A certain tenderness. It’s absolute Santorini.