Chickpea Fritters with Garlic Smoked Paprika Aioli

The holidays are always a crazy time and it’s hard to plan things, especially on the weekends. Once the end of October hits I feel like I am traveling or booked up every weekend whether it’s “friendsgivings” or Christmas parties. It’s not a bad thing, I enjoy being busy but I feel like I rarely see my boyfriend who I live with let alone my other friends who are also dealing with hectic schedules. I recently hosted a book club with a group of girlfriends and made these chickpea fritters and this Thursday I will be making this recipe again as they were such a hit.

Chickpea Fritters with Garlic Smoked Paprika Aioli

About Chickpea Fritters

These chickpea fritters are shaped to look like fries so that they can be effortlessly dipped in the aioli for an easy appetizer. They are also a great gluten-free snack, crispy on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside with just a bit of texture from chopped chickpeas.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Chickpea flour – In this recipe, chickpea flour, made from protein packed ground raw chickpeas, is combined with water to make a paste, then fried until the resulting fritters are golden brown and crispy. Chickpea flour also known as Garbanzo flour can be found at Whole foods or other specialty grocery stores.
• Aioli – Since making aioli from scratch can take time and patience, the recipe I have included is more of a shortcut version. Rather than starting with egg yolk and oil, the spices are added to the already-made mayonnaise base for an aioli that comes together quickly without hassle.

How to Make Chickpea Fritters

For the chickpea fritters:

1. Make the batter. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. In a medium saucepan over-low heat, whisk the chickpea flour with 2 cups of water until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be about the just thicker than the consistency of cake batter.
2. Season. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the chickpeas, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, sage and garlic powder. Season to taste with kosher salt. Let cool then spread the mixture in the prepared pan in an even layer.
3. Freeze the mixture. Freeze the mixture until just about solid, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
4. Cut the fritters. Remove the chickpea mixture from the freezer, take it out of the mold and discard the plastic. Cut into ½” x ½” strips, about the size of thick-cut fries.
5. Fry the chickpea fritters. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1-inch of vegetable oil and heat to 350º. Fry the chickpea fritters, working in batches, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove the fritters to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt.

For the garlic smoked paprika aioli:

1. Mix the smoked paprika aioli. In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, paprika, garlic lemon juice, salt and black pepper until thoroughly combined.
2. Use or store. The aioli can be made three days ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container.

To serve:

1. Assemble and serve. Serve chickpea fritters hot topped with chopped parsley for garnish. Serve the garlic smoked paprika aioli on the side for dipping.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this chickpea fritter recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Chickpea Coconut Curry
• Baked Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Fries
• Seasoned Garlic Crab Fries

Chickpea Fritters with Garlic Smoked Paprika Aioli

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Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Serves 18 fritters

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the chickpea fritters:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• ½ cup chopped canned chickpeas
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 ½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying

For the garlic smoked paprika aioli:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

For the chickpea fritters:

• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap. In a medium saucepan over-low heat, whisk the chickpea flour with 2 cups of water until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. The mixture should be about the just thicker than the consistency of cake batter.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the chickpeas, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, sage and garlic powder. Season to taste with kosher salt. Let cool then spread the mixture in the prepared pan in an even layer.
• Freeze the mixture until just about solid, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Remove the chickpea mixture from the freezer, take it out of the mold and discard the plastic. Cut into ½” x ½” strips, about the size of thick-cut fries.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1-inch of vegetable oil and heat to 350ºF (180ºC). Fry the chickpea fritters, working in batches, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove the fritters to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with salt.

For the garlic smoked paprika aioli:

• In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, paprika, garlic lemon juice, salt and black pepper until thoroughly combined. The aioli can be made three days ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container.

To serve:

• Serve chickpea fritters hot topped with chopped parsley for garnish. Serve the garlic smoked paprika aioli on the side for dipping.

Notes:

*Note: Chickpea flour also known as Garbanzo flour can be found at Whole foods or other specialty grocery stores.

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