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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Italian Chick Pea Fritters with Veggies

    Published: Apr 15, 2016 · Modified: Nov 21, 2020 by Coley · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy recipe for Italian Chick Pea + Veggie Fritters uses chick pea flour and lots of veggies for a crispy, salty snack that happens to be vegan and gluten free! They're easy to make and always a crowd pleaser - even for kids!

    These delicious little fried nubbins are made from a thick batter consisting of chick pea flour and water.  They're similar to Panele, a Sicilian snack and are commonly sold throughout the streets of Palermo. They're crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside. Traditionally they're fried in olive oil, which gives them a deep, rich flavor.

    Italian Chick Pea Fritters

    These chick pea fritters are really simple to make. You can keep them plain, as you'll usually find them in Italy, or you can gussy them up with different herbs, spices and flavorings. I like to add in a few veggies for a little boost of nutrition, but also for additional flavor and texture.

    Oh, and speaking of nutrition, did I mention these happen to be totally vegan and gluten free? Yep. They're also naturally soy free, nut free, egg free and make a great option to serve to anyone with food allergies or dietary restrictions. That's what makes these little guys so amazing. They're loaded with protein, fiber and vitamins, but they just taste like fun, yummy treats. Are they the perfect food? They very well just may be.

    How to Make Panelle: Italian Chick Pea Fritters

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    Print

    Italian Chick Pea + Veggie Fritters

    A stack of chickpea veggie fritters with rosemary sprigs and lemon wedges.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 review

    This easy recipe for Chick Pea Fritters uses chick pea flour and lots of veggies! They're crispy, salty, and also vegan and gluten free! A great way to get kids to eat their vegetables.

    • Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
    • Prep Time: 2 hours
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
    • Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
    • Category: appetizer
    • Method: stovetop
    • Cuisine: Italian
    • Diet: Vegan

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ small red onion, minced
    • 1 carrot, grated
    • 2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
    • 2 cups chickpea flour
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus plenty more for frying

    Instructions

    1. Rub the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with olive oil. Combine the onion, carrot, spinach, rosemary, chickpea flour, water, salt, and olive oil in a medium saucepan and whisk until no lumps remain.
    2. Place the pot over medium heat and and continue to whisk until mixture starts to become thick. Swap out the whisk for a rubber spatula and continue stirring until the mixture is very thick, about 8-10 minutes.
    3. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, then spread it out into an even thickness. Work quickly, as the mixture will start to seize up and become hard to spread. Transfer the baking dish to the refrigerator until the mixture is totally cooled and solidified, about 2 hours.
    4. Remove from refrigerator, invert it on to a cutting board and slice into whatever shape you'd like.
    5. Heat abut ½-1 inch of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat (cast iron works best). Place several pieces in the pan, but be careful not to overcrowd it. Fry until golden brown, then flip and cook until browned on the other side. Remove the panelle and place them on paper towels to drain, then immediately sprinkle with salt while they're still hot. Repeat with the remaining panelle and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and then be reheated in a 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 127
    • Sugar: 3.1 g
    • Sodium: 494.9 mg
    • Fat: 5.2 g
    • Carbohydrates: 15 g
    • Protein: 5.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: chickpeas, vegan appetizer, fried chickpeas, chickpea fritters

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a review and star rating ⭐️ to help other cooks!

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    1. Lorraine

      April 17, 2016 at 11:11 pm

      I just made "pasta chig soup" (ditalinis or tubettinis and garbanzo beans)this week. It is one of my favorite soups. This recipe looks like something we would really enjoy and I would treat my whole family to something new. Thanks Coley..miss you and love you lots.

      Reply
      • Coley

        April 18, 2016 at 8:51 pm

        YUM!! I'm ready for warmer weather but at least we can still enjoy soup. Miss and love you too!! xoxox

        Reply
    2. Joy

      April 18, 2016 at 9:44 pm

      I'll be making these (ahead of time) for my son's graduation party. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! Just wondering... would you use some kind of 'dip' for these also? I'm thinking something along the line of a sour cream/horseradish dip or a tzatziki dip. What do you think?

      Reply
      • Coley

        April 20, 2016 at 2:49 pm

        Such a great idea!! They totally don't need a dip, but I think anything is good with a dip, so go for it!! I think tzatziki would be especially good.

        Reply
        • Joy

          July 14, 2016 at 3:18 pm

          As things go, I DID make these ahead of time for Alex's grad party.... and then ran out of time to cook them! I had so much food that they weren't missed anyway! The party was on a Saturday... I cooked these up on Monday for our usual "Monday Night Delights" in our office. They were GONE in the first hour and a half! They were SO good!!
          Just a side note: I didn't have chickpea flour on hand so I looked for it in our local ShopRite.Bob's Red Mill has it with the label "Garbanzo Bean Flour".. in case anyone is having a problem finding it. One bag will probably give you at least two recipes worth... maybe a third.
          Thanks again for another brilliant recipe, Coley!

          Reply
    3. Autumn

      August 18, 2018 at 6:46 pm

      Hi, can these be baked instead?

      Reply
      • Coley

        August 20, 2018 at 1:19 pm

        You can give it a try, but they may not turn out as crispy. Be sure to give them a nice coating in olive oil first.

        Reply
    4. Javiera

      October 14, 2018 at 12:08 am

      I´d love to do this! But I´m wondering...does it tastes a lot like chickpea flour? If it does, can I add some lemon juice to the recipe?

      Reply
      • Coley

        November 01, 2018 at 4:28 pm

        It doesn't! But feel free to add some lemon juice to the recipe. Let me know how it is!

        Reply
    5. Lindsey

      April 28, 2019 at 7:23 pm

      I found this recipe on Pinterest while looking for a side to have with pasta instead of bread. I followed the recipe except only fried up half of the fritters and saved the other half in the freezer. I fried up the rest a week later and they still tasted great. I have a large container of fancy flaked sea salt, so I was happy I got to garnish the fritters with it. I will be making these again. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

      Reply
      • Coley

        April 29, 2019 at 1:56 pm

        Thanks Lindsey! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    6. Monty

      November 07, 2021 at 9:20 am

      I made these in the air fryer yesterday. Delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Coley

        November 15, 2021 at 3:19 pm

        So glad! Thanks for leaving a review!

        Reply
    7. Dee

      April 17, 2023 at 6:25 pm

      Hi, I just made these and they fell apart in the oil. Great flavor and worth trying again. My question is: did I not chill them enough? Flour measurement wrong? Not cooked long enough? I saved 1/2 and will coat in rice flour and try again tomorrow but I would appreciate if you had this problem while testing the recipe and what you did to correct it? Thank you for your help and the recipe. I know it will be great!

      Reply
      • Coley

        April 18, 2023 at 10:51 am

        Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear this happened. It's hard to say what the problem was without seeing the mixture myself, but I'm thinking that perhaps the chickpea flour mixture wasn't cooked long enough to develop structure. How long did you let them chill and were they easy to cut? Did they seem flimsy or crumbly before frying? Also, are you at high altitude by any chance? I want to help you fix this!

        Reply

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    I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley. You should, too! I'm a professionally trained chef specializing in Italian cooking and seafood. I grew up at the Jersey shore in a family of Sicilian fishermen and have been cooking my entire life. Here you'll find hundreds of seasonal, authentic recipes that are designed to help you succeed in the kitchen. About Nicole Gaffney

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