Sambal Pinto Bean Fritters with Coconut and Lime

Drop garlic cloves and shallots into the mortar and pestle. Pound into a coarse paste — about 3 minutes of grinding until no big pieces remain.

Stir in cayenne pepper and salt. Continue grinding for 1 minute until the sambal is fragrant and evenly mixed. Set aside.

Drain and rinse the pinto beans. Add them to a large bowl and mash with a fork until about 80% broken down — some texture is welcome, but no whole beans.

Add the egg, flour, breadcrumbs, and all of the sambal paste to the mashed beans. Mix thoroughly until a cohesive dough forms. If the mixture feels too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time; if too dry, splash in water 1 teaspoon at a time.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls, then flatten slightly into patties about 1cm thick. You should get 12-14 fritters.

Arrange the shaped fritters on a lined plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes — this helps them hold their shape during frying.

Pour coconut oil into a deep-sided pan or wok. Place over medium-high heat and bring to 175°C — a thermometer is ideal, or drop a breadcrumb in: it should sizzle immediately and float with steady bubbles.

Working in batches of 4-5, lower the fritters gently into the oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crispy at the edges. Maintain oil temperature between batches.

Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack. Let drain and cool for 5 minutes — the interior will set up during this rest.

While fritters rest, warm 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat until just melted and shimmering.

Zest both limes directly into the warm oil, then juice both limes and add the juice. Stir in honey and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat and swirl to combine.

Arrange the fritters on a banana-leaf-lined plate or shallow bowl.

Drizzle the coconut lime sauce generously over the warm fritters, letting it pool around them.

Serve immediately while the fritters are still warm and the coconut oil drizzle is fragrant — this dish is best fresh.