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Croatian Fritule Recipe
Simple to make and even easier to eat. Fritule are small balls of doughy goodness, often dusted in powdered sugar as an extra treat.
Knowing how to make fritule is almost mandatory for a Croatian. That way, when your relatives just pop in for a visit, you can quickly whip up a batch. Not that Croatian cooking is difficult, but these are extra easy!
The only tricky thing about making this fritule recipe is learning how to control the oil temperature. Too hot, and the fritule will be charred. Too low, and they’ll be oily-soggy balls – practice making one at a time. Then when you get it, you’ll be good to make the whole batch in less than 30 minutes.
Croatian Fritule Recipe
Easy to make, and even easier to eat. Try this Croatian fritule recipe out and let us know what you think.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purose flour (3 1/2 cups)
- 20 g fresh yeast (2 tablespoons)
- 2 egg yolks
- 80 g raisins (optional) (1/2 cup)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 50 g of white sugar (1/4 cup)
- 20 g melted butter (1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 150-200 ml warm milk (2/3 - 1 cup)
- 50 ml rakija or brandy (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Approximately 500 ml of frying oil (2 1/3 cups)
- Powdered sugar (optional for dusting)
Instructions
- Sift flour into a bowl
- Combine the egg yolks, raisins, salt, sugar, butter, grated lemon zest and 25 ml of the rakija/brandy in a large bowl
- In a large glass dissolve yeast with 100 ml of warm milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar, cover and let it rise
- Then add the yeast mix to the flour and add enough milk so it forms a soft dough
- Allow it to rest covered for approx 30 minutes
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Take pieces of the dough with a teaspoon and drop into the hot oil
- Fry each ball on all sides until golden. (practicing cooking a few to get the oil temperature correct with your cooktop)
- Take each ball out and rest a paper towel to drain off the excess oil
- Once all of the fritule are ready, pour the rest of rakija over, transfer onto a serving bowl and dust with powdered sugar
If You Liked This Recipe You May Also Like
- Croatian Stuffed Peppers
- Sarma – Stuffed Cabbage rolls
- Krafne
- Croatian Rudarska Greblica
- Walnut Baklava Recipe (Baklava s Orasima)
- Croatian Šnenokle (Also Known As Paradižot)
Thanks for this recipe im going to try it this weekend. We moved here 1 year ago from Sydney (for my work), and my sons is begging me to make Fritule. I tried a Jamie Olover recipe and my son they are not the same as the ones the ladies at school make. So I’m going to try your recipe and I’ll let you know of it passes the 11 year old boy test (who’s a very picky eater).
Please ignore the ignorance of people who make negative comments. This will take up too much of you re energy- especially when you can use that energy for more recipes!!!,
Hi SJ,
I am an Australian married to a Croat and I enjoy your blog very much. My mother-in-law is the most renowned fritule maker in Western Australia!! She “feels” the dough with her hands to know when it is “just right” and squeezes it through her fist to make to make the little balls that drop into the oil. Her secret ingredient is a little brandy!! She also buys a fine vanilla sugar to dust them with. I took a bowl to work once and they were gone in 60 seconds. xx
respectfully disagree Betty Perica of South Perth (rip) would have been in the running for the best fritulas or pusharatas in WA as she used to call them .I treasure her handwritten recipe which I will give to my daughter
I agree with Jane Perica. Betty’s fritule we’re amazing and always served with a light dusting of icing sugar and guilt.
I’m surprised that sharing a recipe would cause so much controversy. Never considered a recipe as sexist. My husband tried cooking, it didn’t work. I haven’t tried changing the oil, or tires on our car. My strengths are not his and vice versa. (We both changed diapers)
I am first generation Croat/American with a home in Croatia as well as US. I can fully relate to this blog and the person writing it. Shame on people who are trying to make it something other than what it is.
Get a life…kind of like Mrs. C T D did. Keep up the fun posts AND recipes. They bring back fond memories!
Hello to all,
Apparently there’s an apology due to Chasing the Donkey about a comment made on her site……..this was not written by myself, another person had access to my Facebook and I was not aware of this till I read it this morning….I enjoy your Blog so I hope this misunderstanding can be forgotten? This will be dealt with on my part, have a nice day
I am a Croatian American who enjoys reading this blog and the recipes on it. Keep it up not everyone is so nasty!
Well done! There are many variations of the recipe out there but now I can surprise my Croatian husband. Head up, this is a great blog. Crazy is not meant to be understood.
As an Amerikana I am a huge fan of Austrailan and Croatian culture. I have spent time living in both countries. It is great to read another’s perspective on living in Hrvatska.. 🙂
SJ! Though I’m not Croatian, I’m obsessed with all things Hrvati as my husband is Croatian and I wish to keep the rich culture, language and food alive for our newborn son. Food. Am obsessed with the food! And this is no exception! A couple questions for you: 1.) my Svekrva never told me about these… Are the regionally specific? 2.) I’m petrified of deep frying in my house. Is there a way to somehow bake these or prepare them in a non fried way? 3.) do you deliver? I’ll trade you a gorgeous Makovnjaća for a box of these bad boys?!
PS: haters gonna hate and sad, pathetic, lonely people need company so they spread their nastiness around. At the end of the day I feel sorry for that sad small person for how terribly lonely her life must be and what tragedies must have brought her to this dark place of trolling beautiful Aussie expats blogging about life in Croatia in the anonymous shadow of the Internet.
These balls look amazing! Thanks for teaching me about a country that I basically know nothing about. I’ll bet your blog has brought in a lot of tourist money to the Croatian economy. Thanks!
Dear Mirijana Pozega,
I know SJ would NEVER be so rude as to publicly reprimand you in such a way but you need to know, YOU are so off base here !!
You have only succeeded in representing yourself as a bitter, ignorant and rude human being which is very sad 🙁
I have read and enjoyed many posts on Chasing the Donkey, NEVER have I read the author represent herself as an EXPERT on ANYTHING.
This is a blog about HER experiences and HER feelings as she makes a new life in CROATIA, a place she made a choice to live in YES to say that she no longer WANTS to live in Australia because of her choice is something only a person who has never left their homeland could say.
For YOU to answer for ALL Croatians is a joke !
( Us Croatians don’t need your comments in your blog about how to make Fritole or any other food or how we live…..write about where your from because you certainly are not an expert on Croatian Cuisine, or live style! )
I believe you should write your own blog to PROMOTE Croatia in as POSITIVE a way as Chasing the Donkey does although with the attitude you have shown I believe that would be impossible.
Perhaps you should leave your acid comments in your own head, every person has the right to voice their opinion that is true, but an INFORMED comment is required which is far from what your comment is.
This was not written by me!
To Diva in Dubrovnik ,
Like I said this morning, this was not written by me!
Not sure what incited such evil… Looks fantastic!! Bravo Zena! Sending love from Serbia 🙂
What a load of balls!
{Dough balls, to be precise. And excellent with macchiato to kick-start the day 🙂 }
Some people need to take a chill pill – I see no reason to lash out based on this post?
Who are you to make a comment like oh not that Croatian cooking is difficult! Omgosh go back to Australia or where ever you came from! You move to our country and think your an expert in every thing Croatian! You have no clue on how Croatians live, eat or how to cook! You come to Croatia to live because it’s a beautiful country and you no longer want to be in your country. You start a Blog and try to convince tourists that you know all about Croatia! Give me a break!! Us Croatians don’t need your comments in your blog about how to make Fritole or any other food or how we live…..write about where your from because you certainly are not an expert on Croatian Cuisine, or live style!
WOW, that’s some serious hate for so early in the morning. I never said I was an expert. Ever. And, never will claim to be one. I’ll happily share your stories with my readers should you have any that would enlighten them. I am not sure why you feel the need to be so mean, what is your problem? Would you want someone to speak to your daughter like you’ve spoken to me? I am a real person, with real feelings, not a robot hiding behind a keyboard. I hope the rest of your day gets better – and less angry!!
Good on you SJ, you don’t have to be from a certain country to be informed about it. I’m so happy that you are open minded enough to accept other cultures as many Australians I know aren’t. I think someone feels threatened and childishly is lashing out at you for no reason what so ever. I have 7 different fritule recipes, some with yeast, some with yoghurt, some with fruit some without, depending on where it came from in Croatia. The Dalmations claim it’s theirs. Bosnians claim its theirs. There are italian variations also. I love sites like these. I was born croatian but moved to Australia when I was one. I fear when my mum passes one day my heritage will be lost so its nice to get on here and find favourite recipes. Lets not fight but instead cherish the great vast world we live in and the multiculturalism that is so evident especially in Australia. If it wasn’t for the strong European influence Australia would not have the restaurants and fine eateries it has today. The lady that lashed out you should feel proud that someone has embraced beautiful Croatia. Zivjeli!
Fantastic response. That’s the attitude that makes the world go round. Good on you! 🙂
Miriana whats wrong with you?
Someone from another side of the world came here to live and cherish Croatian life, and you want them to go back just because of….what exactly?Liking it?
And we DO NEED their comments and blogs, not only to advertise our tourism yet to make every tourist understand and value our way of life.
We have temper and we are more opened in conversation than most of people, but we are not ignorant cavemen…so calm down, make another coffee…have a nice day 🙂
Miriana, you must have a very bad day… I am sure though, that some fritole will cheer you up. Best to you and this wonderful blog.
Meli
What Croatians DON’T need to somebody like Miriana spewing such stupidity as a horrible representation of Croatian people. Stupidity like that deters tourists from wanting to visit a country.
SJ does nothing but speak beautifully of our country (and more specifically the same town that I’m from as well) and you get upset why?
And no, not many Croatian recipes are difficult, just time consuming. Punjene paprike? Long EASY process…Palacinke? EASY just thought to be difficult by others.
The most difficult thing I can think of is burek and it’s a Bosnian meal.
I totally agree with your assessment of the comments by this fake person who did not have the balls to represent herself but had to steal someones identity. Small mind.
One word…..Suti…….If you are a real Croatian you should be proud that someone from another country loves our culture enough to write about it instead of being an ass. Just as there are many dialects in Croatia there are many many ways to make the same food. Recipes are as varied as dialects. Spend some time learning your own culture and your own people and the many ways Croatians have affected the world. Again your comments were uncalled for shame on you. As a Croatian living in America and summers in Croatia I appreciate all interest in our land, people and history and yes I am a great cook with many old recipes from mama and grandma, my late mother in law (svekerva) and even one rabbit recipe from my late father in law and would never think to discount someone else for their way of cooking.
Wow, can’t believe how sexist this post is! Because what is the wives purpose if not to feed her man make him happy, and make sure the house is ready for the guests… It’s appalling!!!
I live outside of Croatia for a year now. And I can tell you, things like this is why most of the Europe still see us as a dirty Balkans. Us much as we try to present our self as part of modern western Europe.
You don’t have to publish my comment, but please (please!!) change that par of the post. This way you only embarrass your self, and us Croatians. I am only telling you this because I really like your site. Just keep this kind of an attitude in the past where it belongs and keep up the good work 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Marino, sorry to make you so upset. I am assuming what offended you was the word ‘wife’ in the sentence. To make sure this post stays about how yummy these balls of goodness are not anything political I removed that word. I never said anything about cleaning the house or making your man happy, so I am not sure where that all came from. I am very glad you like the site and took the time to comment, hope to see you back soon.
OK. . .maybe somewhere on the planet, when its inhabitants read that someone is making tasty food for loved ones and friends, and will go the extra inch to make sure her home projects hospitality to her guests. . .it somehow incites in them the reaction of “You dirty Balkans!”.
In the USA, we just figure it means that the person is caring and hospitable.
Those look delicious! Like little fried dough balls. I’ll have to try to make it.
Please do, and let us know what you think.
Little balls of heaven that’s what Fritule looks like to me and you can bet I’d try to abscond with a bag full. *evil grin*
Teeee heee