Carrot & Chickpea Fritters
These little fritters are AWESOME! They are a simple, quick and nutritious meal to whip up on a busy day. These fritters are fried in ghee (which is in incredibly nourishing fat) on the stovetop but I imagine they would bake off well in the oven too. As for the extra fat and calories that frying adds, when I’m cooking for my growing children I really love adding more nutrient dense fats like ghee (or duck fat or olive oil) to their meals as it’s essential for their brain health and rapidly growing bodies. However, if you decide to bake these instead let me know in the comments how they turn out.
These fritters are great served on their own with a dipping sauce of your liking (yogurt, tahini, ketchup) Pepper is obsessed with yogurt these days so she dips away in that. I like to serve my fritters “bowl” style for a complete meal. I’ll cook up a batch of rice or quinoa, toss in a handful of greens, pickled veggies, the fritters and top my bowl with a fried egg and a drizzle of tahini. Sometimes Pepper will enjoy an egg on the side of her fritters but she isn’t quite into the “bowl” meals just yet. So we deconstruct her meal when we serve this as a family.
These fritters are chock full of flavor and nutrients and before we get to the recipe I’ll break down the nutrient profile a bit.
Chickpeas are high in dietary fiber and can help control blood sugar as they are incredibly low on the glycemic index. They pack a good amount protein as well and can help keep your little ones full for longer without blood sugar crashes.
Carrots are extremely high in antioxidants and offer a variety of vitamins and minerals. One serving of carrots offers 73% of your daily value of vitamin A!
Garlic is great for immune support and has detoxing properties.
Ghee is a rich source of healthy fats, vitamins and antioxidants. It’s also lactose free and has a higher smoke point than butter which makes it a great option for cooking!
Alright- now that we know all the great ingredients that have all these amazing health benefits let’s get cooking!!
Carrot & Chickpea Fritters
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES SERVES: 12
1 cup finely chopped carrots
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (if from the can rinsed and drained)
3 Tablespoons garbanzo bean flour (see note)
1 egg
Ghee for frying
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 200F and set a baking sheet to the side
Place carrots and garlic into the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the spices, chickpeas, flour and egg. Pulse a few times until well combined but there is still plenty of texture (you don’t want a puree).
Shape the batter into small discs and lightly flatten them with the palm of your hand or the back of a wooden spoon.
Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat with a healthy dollop of ghee. Fry a few patties at a time, for about 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown and lightly crisp.
Remove the fried patties and place them in the preheated oven to keep warm while you fry the remained of the batter.
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
I order my sprouted garbanzo bean flour from Secondspringfoods.com. To reheat these, place them in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes..
