A handful of spinach or a mixture of herbs such as coriander and parsley, all chopped finely
A tin of chickpeas, drained
1tsp each paprika, cumin and dried coriander (and some chilli if you like it hot!)
6 tbsp breadcrumbs or polenta (gluten free) or crushed crackers – for coating the bites
“Use your hands to squash these together; it is a bit messy but fun!”
What to do
Preheat the oven to 200c/ gas mark 6
Wash and peel the carrots (or sweet potato) and chop them into big chunks; about 2 cm wide. Finely chop the onion.
Place the carrots, chopped onion and garlic in a roasting dish and add 1 tbsp oil.
Stir so the vegetables are all coated in oil.
Roast for 30 minutes or until they are soft, stirring half way through.
Place the cooked carrot mixture in a large bowl and allow to cool.
Add the drained chickpeas, spices, and any chopped herbs you are using.
Mash the mixture using your hands, a fork or potato masher (or whizz briefly in a blender). You want the mixture to be chunky so you can still see the different ingredients.
Have a taste – you can add more spice, a squeeze of lemon, or salt and pepper.
Wash your hands and form the mixture into small bites size balls. Cover a plate with the crumbs or polenta and roll the Chickpea Bites around until they are coated.
Drizzle 1tsp of olive oil into the roasting that you used for the carrots. Add the
Chickpea Bites and roll them around so they have a light coating of oil. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes and then turn the bites over and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve with a pitta bread and salad.
If you don ’t have time to bake these you can fry them in a frying pan in 1 tbsp of oil, turning them often”.
