Kichererbsen-Tomaten-Puffer (chickpea and tomato fritters)
Mashed chickpeas bound with a little flour and folded through with diced tomato, fried into fritters with crisp edges and a soft, almost hummus-like centre. Draining the diced tomato well before folding it in keeps the batter thick enough to hold its shape in the pan rather than spreading into a puddle.
Prep20 min
Cook15 min
Servings4
Christoph's chickpea and tomato fritters, the tomato drained well before folding in, which keeps the batter thick enough to hold its shape in the pan.
Ingredients
Units
Temperature
Servings
Fritters
- 800 g chickpeas, tinned, drained rounded
- 200 g ripe tomatoes, diced small, well drained rounded
- 60 g flour rounded
- 2 garlic cloves rounded
- 10 g ground cumin rounded
- 15 g fresh parsley (optional) rounded
- 8 g fine salt rounded
- 60 g neutral oil, for frying rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Mash the drained chickpeas with a fork or potato masher to a coarse, even paste, leaving some texture rather than a completely smooth purée.
- Salt the diced tomato lightly and let it sit in a sieve for 10 minutes, then press gently to drain off excess liquid.
- Combine the mashed chickpeas, drained tomato, flour, garlic, cumin, parsley and salt in a bowl, mixing to an even, thick mass that holds its shape when pressed.
- Shape into 10 patties, about 2 cm thick.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the fritters in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges.
Method in the Thermomix
Written for a TM5 or TM6, 2.2 litre bowl. This covers mashing the chickpeas; frying is conventional.
- Drained chickpeas into the dry bowl. Chop 4 sec / speed 5, to a coarse, even paste.
- Tip out and continue by hand from step 2 of the hand method.
Notes
- Drain the diced tomato well before folding it in. Skip this and the extra liquid makes the batter too wet to hold its shape, so it spreads into a thin puddle rather than a fritter the moment it hits the pan.
- Mash the chickpeas to a coarse texture, not a completely smooth purée. Some remaining texture gives the fritters more bite; a fully smooth mash makes them denser and closer to a solid patty.
- Do not crowd the pan. Fritters fried too close together steam rather than crisp at the edges.
- They keep for 3 days in the fridge and reheat reasonably in a dry pan, though they are best fresh.
Ingredient substitutions
- Chickpeas can be white beans for a milder, creamier fritter.
- Ground cumin can be swapped for smoked paprika for a different, smokier flavour.
- A dollop of yoghurt or a herb sauce on the side is a good, cooling accompaniment.
From Christoph Mayer