Chickpea Fritters
A simple accompaniment, often served alongside menestra.
These fritters were never meant to stand on their own. They belonged beside a pot of menestra, something to reach for between spoonfuls, always there.
Lely made them most often plain. No extras, no fuss—just a simple batter, fried until golden and served warm. Sometimes there was spinach, occasionally shrimps, but more often than not, she kept them as they were. Practical. Reliable.
Garlic wasn’t always a given. Some days she would leave it out entirely, replacing it with a very finely chopped spring onion or a small shallot—whatever she had, whatever felt right.
At first, my job was to stir the batter. I took it seriously, making sure there were no lumps, standing there as if it mattered more than anything else in the kitchen.
As I got older, I was trusted with more. I was allowed to add the chopped garlic and parsley, and eventually to bring everything together myself. It felt like a quiet step forward.
She would let me watch her fry them, but always from a distance. The oil, the timing, the instinct—that part remained hers.
She never lived long enough to see me fry them on my own. But every time I do, I still measure it against how she did it, as if she were just beside me, watching quietly the way she always did.
Ingredients
120 g chickpea (gram) flour
1 small egg
180–200 ml cold water
½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
Black pepper
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped or 1 very finely chopped spring onion or shallot if not using garlic.
1–2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
For frying:
Olive oil or neutral oil
Instructions
1
In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
2
Add the egg and gradually whisk in the cold water until you have a smooth, pourable batter (similar to single cream).
3
Stir in the garlic and parsley—or the finely chopped onion/shallot.
4
Leave the batter to rest for 15–20 minutes minimum or longer.
5
Heat a shallow layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
6
Pour small amounts of batter into the pan.
Spread slightly for thinner, crisper fritters, or bunch more solidly for a pakora style fritter.
7
Fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden.
8
Remove and drain on paper. Serve warm.
9
Lely Tip
Don’t rush the oil. The first fritter was always her test—too fast and they would burn outside and stay raw inside, too slow and they would drink the oil.
She adjusted the heat without measuring anything, just watching and listening. When the oil was right, the batter would gently sizzle the moment it touched the pan—and that’s when she knew to continue.
