Thank you Birds Eye Peas for sponsoring this post!
Peas are an often overlooked legume. We tend to think of them as more of a side dish or something we throw into a dish, last minute. Meanwhile chickpeas and beans are used for all kinds of dishes.
But green peas so delicious, sweet, they’re a great source of protein, fibre and other goodness. So I wanted to create a recipe that made the best of that. Green pea fritters!
These fritters turned out even better than I hoped for. There is something quite “meaty” about them, which would make them an excellent meat substitute in meals. I think kids would love these instead of nuggets, for example.
They also work as a falafel-alternative. Add them to pitta wraps, eat them with a salad or serve them as an appetizer with some dip. I’ve shared a recipe for a lovely, quick dairy-free herby yoghurt dip but honestly, I’ve mainly been eating these with some good old fashioned ketchup. ‘cos I’m classy.
For this recipe, I used Birds Eye’s Petit Pois but this would also work with their Garden Peas, just as well. I like these peas because they’re a bit sweeter, with a great flavour.
Actually, I have a bit of history with Birds Eye…
When I was a kid, I used to go to a childminder’s house after school and she regularly served these peas as part of dinner. One of the few green things I would actually eat, being a fussy eater.
When my parents caught wind that I was actually enjoying something green and healthy, they started to serve peas at home for dinner. But I KNEW instantly that those peas were not Birds Eye. Or as I said “these are not Sue’s (my childminder’s name) peas…” And refused to eat them, like a little brat.
My parents of course found this ridiculous but because it was one of the few vegetables I ate, they catered to my demands and it’s been Birds Eye peas ever since.
So how about that for brand loyalty??? My parents still joke about my obsession with those peas.
But now onto the recipe!
These fritters are great straight from the oven but they’re also lovely cold as a snack or part of a salad.
One of the things I really love about them is how filling they are, thanks to their high fibre and protein content. So if you need a healthy snack to keep you going, these will really do the trick.
These fritters are:
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- 250g / 2 cups Birds Eye frozen peas (Petit Pois or Garden Peas)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for baking
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 140g / 1½ cups gram (chickpea) flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp mixed fresh or dried herbs, finely chopped (I used mixed dried Italian herbs)
- 1 cup Soy yoghurt
- Mixed fresh or dried herbs, finely chopped (I used fresh rosemary, parsley and mint)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Add the peas to a medium saucepan, cover with water and boil, according to packet's instructions and drain well.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic for a few minutes, until softened.
- Add the peas, onions and garlic to a food processor and pulse until it becaomes a thick paste. Alternatively, you can use a masher to mix it by hand.
- Stir in the chickpea flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and herbs.
- The mixture is quite sticky so you will need to wet your hands to shape them into patties. Scoop 1 tbsp of the mixture, roll into a ball and press down slightly to create a patty shape on the baking sheet.
- Brush with fritters with olive oil.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown, flipping them over half way.
- Eat right away or keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them and reheat from frozen.
- Simply mix all the ingredients together and serve in a small dish, along with the fritters.
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