Courgette and chickpea fritters
Small pan-fried courgette and chickpea patties with cool yoghurt alongside. Squeezing the courgette is the key to a mixture that holds together.
An original Recipe From Fridge editorial recipe idea. Timings are estimates; check doneness as described, not by the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 300g courgette, coarsely grated
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 240g drained)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 50g plain flour
- 2 tbsp cooking oil, divided
- 100g plain yoghurt
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Prepare the vegetables and equipment
Wash courgettes and trim off their ends before grating. Drain chickpeas well in a sieve. Set out a clean towel, mixing bowl and wide spatula for turning the soft fritters.
- Remove excess water
Wrap grated courgette in a clean tea towel and squeeze firmly over the sink. Mash chickpeas in a bowl, leaving some small pieces but no large whole beans.
- Mix
Combine chickpeas, squeezed courgette, egg, flour and pepper. Form eight flat fritters about 1cm thick. Mix yoghurt and lemon juice in a separate clean bowl and refrigerate until serving.
- Pan-fry
Heat half the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Cook four fritters for 4–5 minutes each side until golden and firm through the middle. Repeat with remaining oil and mixture; keep the first batch hot.
- Check and serve
Check the centres reach 75°C for 30 seconds, with no wet egg or raw flour mixture. Cook longer over gentle heat if necessary. Serve four fritters per person with the cold yoghurt.
Make it work with what you have
- Do not skip squeezing or make thick fritters: the outside can brown while the middle remains wet.
- Natural yoghurt can replace Greek yoghurt. It is a cold accompaniment, not part of the batter.