Chickpea Fritters

I hate waste, and not knowing what to do with leftover vegetables is annoying. I used to keep them for a few days, promising myself I'd find a way to use them up, then eventually they'd go into the compost bin.

But then, I discovered chickpea fritters, and the problem was gone forever. You can literally throw anything into this batter, and it just works: leftover roasted veg from a Sunday lunch, stir-fried vegetables, tinned and frozen veg... Anything you like.

To freshen these fritters up, I like to add herbs and spices, as well as any spring onions I have lurking in the bottom of the salad drawer (even if they're pretty limp-looking).

I've made brunch sweetcorn fritters with a hit of chilli and paprika, and even leftover squash fritters with sage and roasted onions – you really can get pretty creative.

Here, I've used a mix of different veg, including some leftovers from our Sunday lunch (roasted carrots, tenderstem broccoli, French beans, cabbage), spring onions and a tin of sweetcorn, all brought to life with some fragrant ground cumin and fiery chilli flakes.

Literally everyone loves these fritters, kids and adults alike – and they're gluten-free as well as plant-based, meaning there's nothing not to love.

If I know I'm making these for brunch or lunch, I'll whip up the batter ahead of time. It takes two minutes to pull together, and when the batter has had time to rest, it makes for superior fritters.

If you don't have time, try to let it sit for at least 10 minutes, and you'll really see the difference. Simply whip the batter up, then prep your veg, set the table, and pull your side dishes together while it‘s resting.

This is also a really easy recipe to double up or halve for bigger or smaller meals, so do give it a try!

SERVES:
4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea/gram flour

1 cup water

1-2 tsp savoury spices of your choice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional)

1 tbsp fresh herbs of your choice

2-3 cups mixed vegetables

1-2 tbsp light oil, such as groundnut

Instructions

Mix together the flour and water to make a smooth batter. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and your chosen spices, and set aside for as long as possible for the batter to develop.
When you're ready to eat, add the apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs and veg to the batter, and stir to combine.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large nonstick pan over a medium-high heat. You want a sizzle when the fritter goes in, so if you're not sure if the pan's hot enough, test the temperature with a little dollop of batter before you start to cook.
Add a few large spoonfuls of batter to the pan and cook for 2-3 mins on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove the fritters to a lined baking tray in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the batter, adding more oil if needed.
Serve the fritters with salad, your favourite dips, sautéed spinach... Whatever you fancy, depending on the flavour combinations you've chosen.