Chickpeas are the key ingredients in this fantastically savoury fritter recipe - it's a taste of the Mediterranean at home
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste, from major supermarkets)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 200g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 1 level tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 onion, finely diced
- Bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 8-12 pitta breads, warmed and split, to serve
For the pickle salad
- 2 small carrots, grated
- 1/2 small red cabbage, finely sliced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 pickled chillies, roughly sliced
- 3 gherkins, roughly sliced
Method
- 1. Make the pickle salad. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- 2. Make the dressing. Combine the tahini, half the lemon juice and 50ml water in a bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding a dash of water if it’s too thick. Season and set aside.
- 3. Drain the chickpeas well, then blitz in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add the remaining lemon juice, baking powder, salt, garlic, onion and coriander and blitz again to a pale green purée. Using your hands, shape into 24 small patties.
- 4. Half-fill a large, deep heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil. Heat until a bread cube turns golden in 1 minute. Fry the fritters, in batches, for 3 minutes, turning once, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
- 5. Divide the fritters and salad between the pittas and drizzle with the dressing to serve.
Nutritional info
Per serving (based on 4): 809kcals, 28.3g fat (3.6 saturated), 29.2g protein, 116.8g carbs, 12.7g sugar, 4.8g salt
Wine Recommendation
Wine note: This can take a rich white, so try a Chilean Chardonnay.