Pampoenkoekies are sweet South African fritters made with boiled pumpkin. Unlike Turkish zucchini fritters, which are savory and flavored with herbs, the pumpkin here is cooked first, squeezed dry, and bound with only flour and eggs. The fried fritters are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar while still hot; sugar added after they cool will not stick. They are served with coffee or tea, often in the afternoon.
Boil the diced pumpkin in enough unsalted water to cover it. It is done when a fork slides in without resistance; cooking it for more than 18 minutes will make it absorb water and loosen the mash. Drain in a colander and let the steam escape.
Put the cooled pumpkin in a clean kitchen towel and twist it to thoroughly squeeze out the water; a surprising amount will come out, and no amount of flour can bring the batter together if you skip this step. Mash the squeezed pumpkin with a fork; do not use a blender—the machine will turn it into a sticky puree.
Beat the eggs into the mashed pumpkin, then sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until no flour is visible; do not overwork it. The batter should fall slowly from a spoon in one piece. If it runs, add 20 g more flour.
Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat; the temperature is right when a drop of batter immediately bubbles and stays on the surface. Use a tablespoon to drop the batter into the oil without crowding the pan, and fry for 2 minutes on each side until deep golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon on a wide plate. While the fritters are still steaming, transfer them to the plate and coat both sides; sugar will not stick to cooled fritters and will be left on the plate. Serve immediately.
If you do not thoroughly squeeze the water from the boiled pumpkin in a clean cloth, the batter will remain loose and the fritters will fall apart in the oil; after squeezing, the batter should fall slowly from a spoon in one piece.
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