The chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a legume that is widespread throughout the Mediterranean and has important culinary and nutritional qualities. Although its origin is disputed, it probably began to be cultivated in Greece, Turkey and Syria, from where it spread throughout the Mediterranean basin. In fact, its use is very common in Turkish gastronomy.
Chickpea köfte is usually used as a starter or appetizer before the main course, and is generally fried in plenty of olive oil, although in this case we are going to do it in a way that only uses a little oil.
To serve, it can be accompanied with a homemade tomato sauce or a lemon-based sauce.
Ingredients
- 200 g chickpeas
- 1 onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 egg
- Half a glass of chopped fresh parsley
- 10 tablespoons flour
- Half a teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin, pepper and salt
For frying
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Put the chickpeas in hot salted water. Rub them to loosen all the impurities and throw the water away. Put them back in hot salted water, cover and leave them until the next day.
The next day, change the water and put the chickpeas in a pot, and cook them over a low heat until they are very soft.
Wash the chickpeas in cold water and remove the skin, then put them in the mincer. Separately, peel the onion and garlic, cut them into large pieces, and put them in the mincer with olive oil. Continue chopping them for one minute.
Put this mixture in a bowl. Add the chopped parsley, egg, salt and spices, and mix well. Finally add the flour and baking powder. Knead everything well until a homogeneous and soft dough is formed.
With this mixture, make small balls the size of walnuts, with the help of a little flour. Then flatten each ball by hand into a flat shape. Place all the köfte on a tray and let them rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Then prepare a frying pan with olive oil and fry the köfte on both sides until golden brown.
The chickpea köfte can now be served with a salad or buttered pita bread.
Enjoy!
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Funda is a master of Turkish cuisine. Her cooking skills have led her to participate in all kinds of contests and competitions, and she has won numerous awards for her recipes. If you try one of her dishes… Say goodbye to your diet!
