Vegan Green Fritters

Tomorrow I’ll be celebrating 39 summers.

Yes, it's my birthday tomorrow, and as soon as I finish writing this post, I’m planning to drive to the desert for a short getaway—just so I can wake up very early tomorrow morning and go for a long run in the wilderness.

I know, I’m a bit strange, but these are the kinds of things that really do it for me:

A long run combined with a very early start and new expanses I haven't discovered yet in Israel or around the world. (I take my running shoes with me everywhere I vacation.)

Among the things I love doing on these trips is preparing provisions for everyone: all sorts of tasty and healthy snacks like cut fruit, dark chocolate, some nuts and almonds, and also fancy, delicious sandwiches just in case we don't pass an Aroma branch on the way. (There’s nothing like half a vegan sandwich in the desert with an iced coffee.)

What do I put in the sandwich, you ask?

Vegan green fritters with plenty of parsley, a bit of tomato for vitamin C, and just a touch of tahini.

This is a sandwich my family especially loves, and it's perfect to eat particularly after a long run or a tough workout at the gym.

These fritters are very rich in protein, dietary fiber, and iron, while being low in fat and calories.

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How to eat it?

2 vegan green fritters combined with half a whole-wheat pita, a teaspoon of tahini, and a tomato can be a great solution for lunch or a post-workout meal, thanks to high protein content and a fair amount of carbohydrates that help refill glycogen stores and recover for the next workout.

The amount of fiber in the pita and the fritters will keep you feeling full like a ninja.

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A few notes on the recipe

For these fritters, I used chickpea flour which can be purchased at any health food store, in the organic sections of supermarkets, or at spice shops. You can also use lentil flour or teff flour.

I also used a fresh bunch of parsley, rich in flavor and iron. You can use any herb you desire; cilantro would also blend perfectly here.

I fried the fritters with half a tablespoon of oil for each. You can also bake them in the oven by drizzling a quarter tablespoon of oil under the fritter and a quarter tablespoon over it. It will also come out delicious.

I added coriander seeds which, in my opinion, add a ton of flavor. You can find them in spice shops or Indian grocery stores. You can skip them if you don't like them.

Some nutritional values from clinical dietitian and fitness trainer Noam Bechar:

Each fritter contains:

52 kcal

4.5g carbs

3g protein

2.5g fat

1mg iron

It's recommended to include some vitamin C in the sandwich, like tomato, red bell pepper, or a squeeze of lemon, which helps with iron absorption.

Another amazing recipe for fritters

Vegan Green Fritters

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 10 minutes

Total time 15 minutes

Servings 10 fritters

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chickpea flour Lentil flour or teff flour also work
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 large bunch of parsley
• half an onion
• 1 tbsp raw tahini
• spices ground cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric.
• 5 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Finely chop the parsley, excluding the stems.
2. Finely dice the onion.
3. In a deep bowl, pour the chickpea flour with the water and mix until there are no lumps.
4. Add all remaining ingredients, except for the oil, into the bowl.
   
5. Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
6. Heat half a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan.
7. Pour 2 tablespoons of the batter one on top of the other and fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown.
8. Repeat the process.