Chickpea & Zucchini Fritters

It’s easy to get stuck in the same merry go round when it comes to recipes for the family. I have been busy with home renovations which is why my posts have been far and few between and noticed that we had been eating the same foods over and over in-between takeaways.  As this is unlike me, I began to feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel when it comes to food which inspired me to try something new in the kitchen. 

As many are aware I am not a vegan or vegetarian but do tend to eat less meat lately to preserve my gut and increase energy, which led me to my next creation; chickpea and zucchini fritters. Now trying to feed this to my 6 year old boy who despises anything green, I was a bit worried, but he ate them up and even said ‘yum mum’! So there you have it! This is a vegetarian meal that screams yum to kids and is packed full of good energy. Make em’ for dinner and save some for the lunchbox!

Chickpea & Zucchini Fritters –  makes 12 to 15 fritters

Ingredients:

3 medium sized zucchinis

3 cans of chickpeas (strained)

2 tablespoons of ground cumin

1 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of pepper

3 tablespoons of minced garlic

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 lemons

1 cup of parsley

Flour on hand for binding

Method:

As this recipe makes 12 to 15 fritters, you may need to break up your ingredients in a food processor.

Add the chickpeas to the food processor with a bit of water and blend to a paste. Remove the chickpea paste and place in a large bowl. 

Next, add your zucchinis, salt, pepper, cumin, parsley, garlic and squeezed lemon juice to the food processor and blend until ingredients are chopped fine. If the mixture is very wet, sift in a bit of flour until the mixture has become more like a paste.

In a large bowl, add the above ingredients, chickpeas and zucchini mix and pour in the panko bread crumbs. Add more breadcrumbs or a touch more of flour if the mixture is still too wet to bind. 

To make the patties, roll a bit of mixture into your hand until it binds then flatten in your hand and set aside. Repeat until the mixture is all gone. 

Next, heat a frying pan to medium-high. Lightly cover the pan in olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the fritters. Cook on each side until golden brown – about 5 min each side depending on the thickness of your fritters. 

Serve up with a light cucumber, tomato, red onion and feta salad with lemon and olive oil dressing or your favourite balsamic. Add a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream to dip your fritters in, or if you are a sweet chilli fan, add to the side for dipping. 

Enjoy!