These vegan fish cakes are so like the ones made with seafood, you'll hardly believe they're totally free from animal products.
The key ingredient in these wonderful vegan fish cakes is banana blossom, also known as a “banana heart".
It's a flower from south-east Asia with a purple outer skin and a fleshy, layered interior that makes a surprisingly convincing substitute for fish in cooking.
You can buy banana blossom tinned and ready to cook with from supermarkets, health food shops or from Amazon.
It's easy to turn this wonderful flower into fishcakes. The first step is to give the flower a good rinse as the sap can be bitter.
Next, you'll chop it up and marinate in capers, seaweed, chives and lemon juice to achieve a truly fishy flavour.
After an hour in the fridge, you'll add breadcrumbs and a little mashed potato to the mix, which will help bring the mixture together, ready to be formed into little cakes, oiled and and baked.
Here's the full recipe for my vegan fish cakes complete with step by step pictures to help you along the way. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 220 g (7.8 oz) banana blossom (400g/14oz tin, drained)
- 1 tsp (2 tsp) capers roughly chopped
- 1 sheet nori dried seaweed broken into small flakes
- 5 g (0.2 oz) chives finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch salt and black pepper
- 100 g (3.5 oz) mashed potato
- 50 g (1.8 oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus some to grease the tray
Instructions
Drain the banana blossom and rinse really well with cold water.
Drain well, cut into small pieces and place in a bowl.
Add the capers, seaweed, chives, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix through and place in the fridge to marinade for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).
Retrieve the banana blossom bw and add the potato and breadcrumbs.
Mix well.
Tip! Everything in the recipe is safe to eat uncooked, so now is a good time to taste your mixture and make sure that you are happy with the balance of flavours.
Divide into eight equally sized balls and place on an oiled baking sheet, flattening with the palm of your hand to create patties.
Drizzle oil over each of the vegan fish cakes.
Bake for 10 minutes then flip and bake for a further 10 minutes until just firm and golden.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
Print this vegan fish cakes recipe
Vegan Fish Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 220 g (7.8 oz) banana blossom (400g/14oz tin, drained)
- 1 tsp (2 tsp) capers roughly chopped
- 1 sheet nori dried seaweed broken into small flakes
- 5 g (0.2 oz) chives finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch salt and black pepper
- 100 g (3.5 oz) mashed potato
- 50 g (1.8 oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus some to grease the tray
Instructions
- Drain the banana blossom and rinse really well with cold water.
- Drain well, cut into small pieces and place in a bowl.
- Add the capers, seaweed, chives, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix through and place in the fridge to marinade for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).
- Retrieve the banana blossom bowl and add the potato and breadcrumbs.
- Tip! Everything in the recipe is safe to eat uncooked, so now is a good time to taste your mixture and make sure that you are happy with the balance of flavours.
- Divide into eight equally sized balls and place on an oiled baking sheet, flattening with the palm of your hand to create patties.
- Drizzle oil over each of the vegan fish cakes.
- Bake for 10 minutes then flip and bake for a further 10 minutes until just firm and golden.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
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Sarah says
It doesn’t say what oven temperature?
Emily Leary says
Sorry about that. 200C (180C fan).