The Portuguese fritters bolinho de abóbora are not the usual quick grab-and-go fritter.
In Portugal, they prepare them especially in autumn and during festivals, when they harvest what the land has given and turn it into something simple yet sincere.
No need for a thousand steps, no need for ‘tricks’: just do as it’s always been done, soft dough, a spoon, and hot oil.
What matters is the hand, the consistency must be such that it doesn’t slip off the spoon, but dense enough to puff up when fried.
No need to chase perfection, the bolinhos don’t have to be all the same, the beauty lies in the fact that each takes shape according to who makes it.
The result? Golden fritters, crunchy on the outside and soft inside..
And the best part is that this recipe, although it comes from afar, speaks to us as well, the pumpkin, the frying, the sharing… are part of our rustic cuisine.
If you’re looking for a recipe that doesn’t fade, that remains, that warms… here it is.
You sit down, pour a coffee or a glass of sweet wine, and enjoy them, because some things work today exactly as they did in the past.
Pumpkins in Portugal have been around for centuries, but bolinhos de abóbora as we know them today have spread mainly in the rural areas of the North, particularly in Minho and Trás-os-Montes.
There, the cuisine has always been poor but clever, using everything available, valuing what was there. Pumpkins were easy to grow, yielded well, kept for the winter… perfect!
These fritters were born as a ‘Tempos de Festa’ recipe, meaning those days of the year when something special was finally eaten: Christmas, New Year’s, and important Sundays. They were not everyday sweets, oil was precious, and that’s why bolinhos are still considered a dessert for a full table, not a quick snack.
The base has remained practically unchanged over time: cooked and mashed pumpkin, flour, eggs, and a touch of sugar.
Follow the recipe, and if you replicate it, or replicate other recipes from my blog, send me the photos, and I’ll post them on my FB page under your name.
About 50 Kcal per fritter
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 50 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Portuguese
- Seasonality: New Year's, Christmas
Ingredients for making Portuguese Fritters Bolinho de Abóbora
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pumpkin (pureed)
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 2 tablespoons cachaça (liquor)
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- sunflower oil (for frying)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Tools
- 1 Pot Frying Pot
- 1 Mixer Dessert Mixer
Preparation of Portuguese Fritters Bolinho de Abóbora
First, we need to make the pumpkin puree by cutting the pumpkin into cubes without the peel.
Cook it in the oven at 392 °F for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness, and once soft, mash it with a fork, or blend it.
To obtain 1 cup of puree, you will need about 14-18 oz of raw pumpkin.
In the bowl of the dessert mixer, put all the ingredients and mix with the mixer until you get a firm batter that doesn’t drip and can be managed with a spoon.
Prepare a small bowl with sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
Prepare a pot with oil for frying, and once it reaches temperature, pour the batter into the oil using a spoon and a teaspoon, so as to pour balls that are not too large.
Cook over low heat; when done, drain on absorbent paper and then roll the balls in the sugar with cinnamon.
Once all are cooked, consume them preferably hot, but I must say they are good even the next day.
