Chickpea Fritters

I’m partial towards chickpeas — or garbanzo beans, by choice and not because they were among the most rarest legumes I ever ate.(It is one of the invisible legume at home and I only eat them when I go to temples!)The common one would be to boil it with salt and pour the tempering ingredients on it!Of course, no complain there , as it goes well with the pongal(sweet rice) ,that comes with it. One just have to ensure that the chickpeas are really cooked and soft when one munch into them.There are the canned one, as well the chickpea flour. Dried chickpeas take longer to cook than other beans (two hours would be a likely cooking time), or pressure cook it ,as I have done and you will save a lot of time; use enough water, and the process is stress-free. One major benefit to cooking chickpeas yourself — aside from the superior flavor and texture — is that the water you cook them in becomes particularly rich and flavorful by the time they’re done. Save it for soups.

Right along with the early grains, legumes were among the first crops cultivated and date back to the Bronze Age. Beans have been discovered in the tombs of the Pharaohs and Aztecs. The ancient Egyptians considered beans to be an emblem of life and had temples dedicated to them. Later, the Greeks and Romans used them in festivals to worship their gods. The Roman's four most distinguished families were named after beans;  Cicero (chickpea) being one of them. 

Garbanzo beans/chickpeas are believed to be one of the oldest cultivated beans, dating back as far as 5400 BC. It has a light tan color and has more of a square-ish, nutty look than the other beans. After cooking, this versatile bean remains nice and firm and has a nut-like flavor. They can be made into a coffee-like drink if roasted brown then ground.

Chickpeas and Bengal grams are used to make curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the UK.Many popular dishes in Indian cuisine are made with chickpea flour.In India, as well as in the Levant, unripe chickpeas are often picked out of the pod and eaten as a raw snack and the leaves are eaten as a green vegetable in salads. 

Today ,I have used the chickpeas to make fritters. It goes well with a cuppa tea with some mint chutney as a dipping sauce  for tea time or even as a side dish with rice.

1 stale bread,soaked in water

2 cups/400g chickpea, soaked overnight and pressured cook

Or use canned chickpeas,rinsed and drained

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 garlic clove ,peeled and finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

½ tsp ground cumin

½  tsp coriander powder

½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp beaten egg

2 tbsp bread crumbs

1 tbsp corn flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Oil to deep fry

Soak chickpea overnight.Pressure cook until soft and puree into a paste.Keep aside.

Squeeze the bread  well to remove excess water.In a bowl, combine all the ingredients.If preferred you can puree the onion and garlic with the chickpea. Take a  ping pong size dough and flatten it . Deep fry or shallow fry  the fritters.

Note: If deep frying , fry one or two at a time only.  Serve mint sauce /chutney as a dipping sauce for the fritters ,if serving during tea time.

The above recipe is heading its way to a few events :

1)Mission Explore Food -Lentils by The Big Sweet Tooth ,Ghar Ka Khana And Thou Shalt Cook.
2)Spotlight June -Beans and Lentils by Recipe Junction.
3)Monsoon Temptations by Indian Delights.
4)Foodie Friday - A Room With A View For Two
5)Friday Food frenzy by Mostly Food And Crafts, Close To Home and Adventures In All Things Food
6)Friday Favourites by Simply Sweet Home.
7)Foodie Friday - Rattlebridge Farm