Final answer:
A small cake or ball coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried is known as a fritter. Croissants are flaky pastries, falafel is a deep-fried bean-based ball, and beignets are square-shaped pastries, making fritter the right answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
A little flat cake or ball of tasty mixture that is coated in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried, is known as a fritter. Option a) Croissant, is a flaky, crescent-shaped pastry and it has an interesting legend tied to its creation, being potentially invented during the siege of Vienna, but it doesn't fit the description given. Option b) Falafel, is a deep-fried ball made from ground chickpeas or fava beans, which may sometimes be coated but is distinct in ingredients and culinary tradition. Option c) Beignet, is a type of French pastry, similar to a fritter, but usually square-shaped and without the coating before frying. Thus, the correct answer to this question is d) Fritter.