CHICKPEA FRITTERS WITH TZATZIKI

Chickpeas are delicious, they are a great alternate protein source and incredibly good for you. My one issue with them, for me, their incredible level of gaseousness, basically after the meal the house turns into a highly toxic gas leak following a meal of chickpeas. My solution to this is not to eat them all the time. They are my occasional and I have found that cooking them like this lessens their score on the JK fart scale :). This dish is hard to avoid, it is so freaking awesome, so bloody cheap and a perfect snack or lunch meal supported with a nice salad. You can veganate the dish by using vegan egg substitute and leaving out the tztatziki. I will be eating this nomnoms for dinner this evening with a nice beetroot and feta salad. Enjoy!! All the best…….JK. 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM FEBRUARY 2011

YUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUM

You get my point – this is a very basic recipe that I think I got in a newsletter from my health fund HCF – although I could be wrong. The entire thing cost me $9- and the best thing – it’s HEALTHY!!!!

It makes enough for an entree for 4-6 people or a nice dinner for me plus plenty of cold ones for snacks.

CHICKPEA FRITTERS | SPOONING AUSTRALIA RECIPE | CHICKPEAS BEING PREPPED

YOU WILL NEED:
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 eggs
½ cup (125ml) skim milk
¾ cup (105g) self-raising flour – I USED WHOLEMEAL
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup (160g) corn kernels
4 green shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional, I forgot to get )
1 x 125g tub low-fat tzatziki

CHICKPEA FRITTERS | SPOONING AUSTRALIA RECIPE | BLENDING THE CHICKPEAS

YOU WILL NEED TO:
USE A FOOD PROCESSOR IF YOU HAVE ONE – I DIDN’T HAVE ONE IN 2011  

But to make this recipe you really don’t need one. I used by barmix and you could use that if you have one or do what your grannie did and use a spoon ya lazy bum with too many modcons .

1. Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add eggs and pulse, continuing to add milk, flour and cumin while pulsing. Fold in corn kernels, shallots, garlic and parsley.

2. Lightly spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Using ¼ cup of mixture for each fritter, form four fritters in the pan. Cook for 2–3 mins each side or until golden, risen and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining mix to make 12 fritters.
You can also make the salad the recipe suggested if you want – but I didn’t make the salad – I just wanted fritttttttteeeerrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. See below for salad suggestion.

The tzatziki is beautiful and very healthy with it – but really – mine were screaming for sweet chilli sauce 

Hope you like – they are so easy and simple to make – as easy as making pancakes and bloody good for you – get into them!!!

CHICKPEA FRITTERS | SPOONING AUSTRALIA RECIPE | FRYING THE FRITTERS

Suggested Salad Ingredients:

3. Combine rocket, spinach, tomato and cucumber in a bowl. Serve fritters warm or cold with salad and tzatziki. I would also recommend it being served with a beetroot, rocket and feta salad. Any salad really would be ideal with it.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHICKPEAS:

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) provide an excellent source of molybdenum. They are a very good source of folic acid, fibre, and manganese. They are also a good source of protein, as well as minerals such as iron, copper,
zinc, and magnesium. As a good source of fiber, garbanzo beans can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This makes them a great food especially for diabetics and insulin-resistant individuals. When served with high quality grains, garbanzo beans are an extremely-low-fat, complete protein food.

Garbanzo beans contain molybdenum which is a trace mineral that is needed for the body’s mechanism to detoxify sulfite’s. sulfites are a preservative commonly found in wine, luncheon meats, and fresh salad in most salad bars. Sulfite-sensitive Individuals who are deficient in molybdenum may experience headaches, a racing heartbeat, or confusion.

HOPE YOU MAKE THEM AND YOU ENJOY THEM!!