Deep Fried Carrot Puffs

I've always found the amount of oil needed for deep frying so wasteful that when I do whip out all that oil, I'll toss in just about anything to make the best of the hassle.  I was making homemade tater tots when I came up with this recipe to use carrots, since I have so many in my fridge!  They actually turned out really delicious and easy to fry.

Sometimes onion rings and tater tots break apart in the oil, leaving little bits and pieces of batter that are annoying to scoop out before they burn to a crisp.  These Carrot Puffs didn't have that problem.  I also used both shredded and chopped carrots to test the difference.  I liked the chopped method (a little less than a 1/4 inch in size) a lot more; coated by the flour-and-egg mixture as it heats and fries, the carrot pieces actually steam inside.  The result is a nice not-too-crunchy sweet carrot wrapped in a crispy fried dough shell.  Yum.

In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tbs. sugar and 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, but I love the extra color and kick).  Add two beaten eggs, chopped jalapenos and 3 cups of chopped carrots.  It took me about 5 small carrots, washed but not peeled (don't care too much for that).  I used one jalapeno chili pepper but next time I make this, I'll use 2 or 3 chili peppers.  They weren't as spicy as I thought they would be, but rather a great balance to the sweetness of the carrots and saltiness of the deep fried batter.  If you're not up to deep fry but want to try this, try doing it with butter.  Again, yum.