Chickpea Fritters With Cilantro Mint Chutney

Description

Source: TASTY PRIDE - TASTY

Growing up, I longed for structure, unconditional love, and a sense of security. While my parents did their best, I was often left to figure things out on my own, so I sought guidance from the people I looked up to. One Mother’s Day, my best friend’s mom taught me how to make cilantro mint chutney. I had a large container left over, so I looked through my fridge and found the ingredients to make these chickpea fritters. I took that chutney and figured out how to utilize it alongside ingredients I had at my disposal. It’s a great symbol for how I’ve navigated through life: learn from the greats, then figure out how to make it your own. When I think about what it means to be part of the LGBTQ+ community, I relate strongly to the fact that many of us have to cut our own paths through life without a recipe to follow (no pun intended). We take what we’ve been given and evolve and adapt. There’s a lovely freedom to that kind of life, which makes me proud to be part of the community. - Antoni Porowski

Ingredients

• ½ cup roasted peanuts
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves (about 1½ cups)
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 serrano chile, seeded (optional)
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small zucchini, grated and squeezed of excess moisture
• ½ cup frozen corn, thawed
• ½ cup grated carrots
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup chickpea flour or rice flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil, plus more as needed
• Thinly sliced mango

Directions

1. Make the chutney: Add the peanuts to a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped and sand-like in texture.
2. Add the cilantro, mint, lime juice, chile, ginger, and salt.
3. Process until smooth.
4. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the chutney to your desired texture.
5. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. Make the fritters: Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and mash with a fork or the back of a spoon.
8. Add the zucchini, corn, carrots, garlic, ginger, cayenne, cumin, coriander, salt, and chickpea flour and stir until well combined.
9. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until nearly smoking.
10. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of batter at a time into your palms and shape into a patty.
11. Working in batches, place the patties in the hot oil, spacing about 2 inches apart.
12. Fry, flipping once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
13. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain and repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil if needed.
14. Serve the fritters warm with the chutney and some sliced mango alongside.

YIELD: SERVES 4