SPICY CHICKPEA FRITTERS WITH HALOUMI & LEMON YOGHURT


This recipe is perfect for me to cook when I have a family member, who is not only a celiac but also a vegetarian, for dinner. I serve it with a salad on the side and it makes a delicious dinner. It's one of those vegetarian dishes that are so yummy you can eat it every week.

INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp salt flakes
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp chilli powder
170g chickpea (besan or gram) flour
280ml cold water
1 tsp baking powder
80g potato flour
300g baby spinach, shredded
15 basil leaves, torn
2 zucchini, coarsely grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid
4 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
100g frozen peas, thawed
400g tinned chickpeas, drained and lightly crushed
120ml vegetable oil
225g haloumi, sliced into rectangles and pan-fried, to serve
nigella seeds, to serve (optional)
lemon wedges, to serve (optional)


Lemon yoghurt
1/2 cup (130g) extra thick plain yoghurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp tahini


METHOD
Combine the garlic, salt, olive oil, cumin, coriander, fennel, chilli powder, chickpea flour, water, baking powder and potato flour in a very large bowl and whisk to make a smooth batter.


In a separate bowl, combine the spinach, basil, zucchini, spring onion, peas and chickpeas.


Add the spinach mixture to the batter and stir well.


For the lemon yoghurt, place the yoghurt, lemon juice and tahini in a bowl and stir to combine.


Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of batter per fritter and cook, in batches of three or four at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Drain on papel towel.


Cook the haloumi in a frypan until golden on both sides.


To serve, top each fritter with a slice of warm haloumi, a spoonful of lemon yoghurt and a sprinkle of nigella seeds. Serve with the lemon wedges, if desired.

Makes approximately 24 fritters.


Lovely with a tomato salad.


Just cut the tomato in thin slices and add sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with shredded basil. Yummo!

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