Platter of Eggplant and chickpea fritters.

Eggplant, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and spices come together to make these tasty little fritters. They are completed with an herb yogurt sauce and are a lovely vegetarian summer meal.

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Eggplants are something I often struggle with coming up for ideas to use aside from the usual eggplant Parmesan and in some stir fries. We often are gifted a lot of it during garden season so I like to get a little creative with it. I know it's something that shows up a lot in people's CSA boxes as well and at the farmers' markets.

This recipe also utilizes fresh herbs, specifically mint and cilantro. Mint is abundant in my herb garden this year and I like how it pairs with eggplant and cilantro is a great flavor in these as well. If you prefer, you can use fresh parsley instead and it will still be delicious.

These fritters are similar in idea to something like a falafel, and we eat them in a similar way - on a pita with the herb yogurt sauce, cucumber, tomato, red onions, and/or lettuce. We try to eat at least a couple meatless meals each week and these are perfect for that!

They would also be good on a salad topped with the yogurt sauce, or a lemon garlic tahini sauce (using this sauce instead of the yogurt sauce would make this a vegan meal). You can also just dip them as they are into the yogurt sauce for an appetizer.

To make these fritters, I first like to peel and roast the eggplant. This makes the eggplant more flavorful, removes some of the water from it, and also helps to ensure the eggplant is fully cooked in the fritters. I simply peel the eggplant, dice it, and then toss it with some olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Then I pulse up all the ingredients in a food processor and form the patties for the fritters. I like to shallow fry them until crispy and golden in some olive oil. The patty ingredients will be quite sticky, so I slightly dampen my fingers to help keep the mixture from sticking while I form it and place it into the pan.

These eggplant and chickpea fritters are another recipe I made for this year's #FarmersMarketWeek. Check out the end of this post for all of today's recipe ideas!

Farmer’s Market Week is always the first week in August. Whether you have a great local farm stand or market, are a member of a CSA or purchase your fruits and vegetables at the supermarket, follow our Pinterest board, for great recipes including those for appetizers, drinks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and more.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Author: Amy (Savory Moments)

Eggplant and Chickpea Fritters with Herb Yogurt Sauce

Eggplant, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and spices come together to make these tasty little fritters. They are completed with an herb yogurt sauce and are a lovely vegetarian summer meal.

Ingredients

For the fritters

1 medium-large eggplant (about 1/2 pound), peeled and diced
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 can (15.5 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup flour, divided
pita bread and vegetables, for serving, optional

For the herb yogurt sauce

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt to taste

Instructions

First, prepare the sauce. Stir all of the ingredients together and season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto a baking sheet. Put the eggplant on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir and put the pan back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the eggplant is soft.
Let cool slightly and then put the eggplant in the bowl of a food processor. Add the mint, cilantro, garlic, onion, chickpeas, coriander, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne/red pepper, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and baking powder. Pulse until almost smooth. Add 1/3 cup of flour and pulse to combined.
Then use a spoon to stir in the last 1/3 cup of flour just until combined.
Use a cast iron skillet to fry the fritters. Cover the bottom of the skillet with a layer of olive oil (about 1/4-inch) and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, form the fritters using damp hands to prevent sticking.
Grab about a golf ball sized amount of the mixture and form it into a patty shape. Place into the hot oil and repeat, cooking about 5 at a time.
When the fritters are golden brown, carefully turn them over and cook another couple of minutes until golden. Then place on a plate with a paper towel to soak any excess oil. Season with a little salt.
Continue until all the mixture is cooked, dampening your hands as needed to prevent sticking.
Serve hot with the chilled herb yogurt sauce, as desired. This recipe will make about 10-12 fritters.