Revithokeftedes (Greek Chickpea Fritters)
Crispy pan-fried Greek chickpea fritters made from roughly mashed chickpeas with cumin, oregano, and parsley. The essential meze of the Cycladic islands — vegan, golden, and best eaten immediately from the pan.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (800g total) chickpeas drained, rinsed, and patted very dry
- 1 small onion finely grated
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or chickpea flour for GF
- 1 egg optional - omit for vegan
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil for pan-frying
- tzatziki and lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Drain, rinse, and pat chickpeas very dry with kitchen towels.
- Mash chickpeas roughly with a fork or potato masher — about 80% broken down, some texture remaining. Do not blend smooth.
- Add grated onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, parsley, flour, egg (if using), salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Mixture should hold a ball when pressed.
- Form into 16-18 patties, about 1.5 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Press firmly.
- Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Fry in batches, 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp. Do not crowd the pan.
- Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve immediately with tzatziki and lemon wedges.
Notes
The mixture must be rough, not smooth. Overly smooth chickpeas make dense fritters. Keep some texture. For vegan version: omit the egg. The fritters will be slightly more fragile but still hold when cold. For gluten-free: use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour. Frying temperature is critical: medium heat. Too hot = burned outside/raw inside. Too cool = greasy. Make ahead: shape and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Fry just before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 420mg | Fiber: 5g