Vegetable fritters with spiced coconut chickpeas
Vegetable fritters are a great way to use up any odds and ends of vegetables you've got in the fridge. Add the spice of your choice.
Ingredients
For the spiced coconut chickpeas
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp curry powder (or any other Indian spices such as cumin, ground coriander or chilli powder)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk (or use ¼ block coconut cream, melted in 200ml/7fl oz boiling water)
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or any others tinned pulses, peas or beans)
- ½ lemon or lime
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vegetable fritters
- 1 parsnip, well-scrubbed, peeled and grated, peelings reserved (or any other root vegetable)
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated (or any other root vegetable)
- ½ onion, grated
- 1 tsp garam masala (or any other Indian spices such as cumin, ground coriander or chilli powder)
- 1 tbsp plain flour (other any other flour such as self-raising, gram or rice)
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep frying (or any other oil)
- pinch paprika
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the spiced chickpeas, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic. Add the spices and stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until thickened. Add a squeeze of lemon to finish.
Meanwhile, to make the vegetable fritters, mix the parsnip, carrot, onion, garam masala, flour and egg yolk in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into patties. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the patties on both sides until golden-brown.
Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Place the parsnip peelings in the fryer and cook for 1–2 minutes or until crispy. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and dust with the paprika. If you don’t have a deep fat fryer, you can also shallow fry the peelings in a deep saucepan.
Place the fritters on two warmed plates and spoon the spiced chickpeas on the side. Top with fresh coriander and the fried peelings and serve.
