Vegan Chickpea Nuggets

Recipe and images courtesy of Romy London (@romylondonuk on Instagram)

These chickpea nuggets are the perfect finger food! Loaded with veggies and fibre and delicious dipped into homemade tomato ketchup - they are quick to make, taste great baked or air-fried for a low-fat version, and also divine pan-fried!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (makes 15)

• 1 tin chickpeas, drained (240 g)
• 1 small courgette, grated or shredded
• 1 large carrot, grated or shredded
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning mix
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 60-80g chickpea flour
• 3-4 tbsp oat flour
• a little oil for brushing

Method:

1. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times until roughly broken down. Shred or grate the courgette and carrot and place them onto a clean kitchen towel. Firmly wrap the vegetables and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
2. In the meantime, heat a little oil in a small skillet and fry the chopped onion until soft. Preheat your oven to 170C.
3. Transfer the courgette, carrot, and onion into the food processor with the chickpeas and add the salt, garlic powder, seasoning mix and sweet paprika. Pulse 4-5 times or until roughly combined. Do not overmix!
4. Transfer to a mixing bowl and start adding the chickpea and oat flour. Use a spatula to mix everything and add enough chickpea and oat flour until you can handle the dough without sticking.
5. Carefully shape the individual nuggets and place them onto a lightly greased parchment paper. Brush them with a little extra oil and bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and firm.
6. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the parchment and serve alongside tomato ketchup or your favourite sauces for dipping.