Lemon-Herb Chickpea Fritters
These zesty chickpea fritters are light, flavorful, and pan-fried until golden. They're a great quick meal or snack with a simple sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas (425 grams each), drained and rinsed
- 0.5 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 0.25 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
Instructions
- Drain and rinse 2 cans chickpeas thoroughly. Transfer them to a large bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the chickpeas until mostly broken down but still with some texture. Avoid making them completely smooth.
- To the mashed chickpeas, add 0.5 cup chopped fresh parsley, 0.25 cup chopped fresh dill, 1 small finely diced red onion, and 3 cloves minced garlic. Grate the zest from 1 lemon directly into the bowl.
- Stir in 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin, 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper. Mix everything well to combine all the flavors.
- Sprinkle 0.25 cup all-purpose flour over the mixture. Use your hands to gently mix until the flour is just incorporated and the mixture starts to hold together. If the mixture feels too wet, you can add another tablespoon of flour, but it should be firm enough to shape.
- Divide the chickpea mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round, flat fritter, about 2.5 centimeters thick.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place 4 fritters into the pan, ensuring they are not crowded.
- Cook the fritters for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove them from the pan and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and cook the remaining 4 fritters in the same way until golden brown and crispy.
- While the fritters are cooking, prepare the lemon-mint yogurt sauce. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, the juice from 1 lemon, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint. Stir well.
- Arrange the warm lemon-herb chickpea fritters on a serving platter. Serve immediately with a generous dollop of the lemon-mint yogurt sauce, a sprinkle of extra chopped fresh parsley, and a lemon wedge for squeezing over.