Chick Pea Pumpkin Fritters

This fritter recipe was designed to be served as an appetizer, a side or as the main entree. It’s great for the fall and winter months because it’s got hearty grounding ingredients like pumpkin and chick peas, which will give you the comfort you crave during these seasons, but is also perfect for all year long. Whether you make this during the winter, fall, spring or summer, it is absolutely delicious and easy to reheat. Enjoy!

This recipe comes to us from Trudy Geneus of The Geneus Life.

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Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chick peas or 2-13.5 ounce cans of chick peas

• 1 lb or 2 cups steamed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 + 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp + 3 pinches of cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
• 1/2 fresh lime squeezed
• 1 flax egg (2 tbsp, 1 + 1/2 tbsp water) [optional]
• 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/2 cup cashew cream milk (1/2 soaked cashew + 1 cup water)
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Begin by bringing 2 cups of soaked chick peas to a boil, cook until they become tender, then drain. If you’re using canned chick peas, be sure to rinse and drain both cans first.

2. In a steamer, add your pumpkins to the vessel and steam until soft—about 15 minutes.

3. Add your chick peas to a medium-sized bowl and then use a potato masher to mash them. Then, add in the pumpkin.
After both the chick peas and the pumpkins are mashed and combined really well, add your diced onions and chopped fresh parsley.

4. Add all of your dried seasonings: garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Add lime and mix well using your spatula and then the potato masher again.

5. Gradually add in your cashew milk until the batter turns into a slight mush.

6. Gradually add your flour and fold it into the batter with a spatula. Taste it to see how much salt and pepper to add.

7. Prepare a baking sheet or netted tray with parchment paper. Form a handful of dough into a patty. Then, coat each side of the patty with panko bread crumbs and place each unto the baking sheet. Repeat this step until the batter is done.

8. Heat a pan with 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Check to make sure the pan is warm before putting your first fritter into the pan. Add the fritters in one by one ensuring not to overcrowd the pan.

9. Place each cooked fritter into a serving bowl lined with paper towel to help soak up the excess oil. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm with your favorite plant-based sauces and sides.

Notes:

• If you choose to make chick peas from scratch, make sure to allot roughly 2.5 hours to cook. If you use a pressure cooker, it shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.
• For an easier alternative to mashing, use a food processor to combine the fritter ingredients. Leave the flour for last and add in gradually until the batter becomes dry enough too mold, but not too dry or stiff.
• If you’d like to bake the fritters instead of pan fry, heat your oven to 375-400 F and bake each side for 12-15 minutes. Bake longer if needed.