Recipe: Chickpea croquettes
Chickpeas (garbanzos) are an excellent source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre; soluble fibre helps to remove bile from the digestive tract (reducing LDL cholesterol – the bad cholesterol) and stabilising blood sugar, and insoluble fibre increases stool bulk and prevents constipation. They are also a good source of protein, especially when combined with a whole grain. Other benefits include a high manganese content (required for a number of enzymes in energy production and antioxidant defences), folate and iron (energy boosting and important for metabolism). Combine this with the fact that they have a low glycaemic index value (this means that the carbohydrate content is broken down and digested slowly), meaning chickpeas are great for controlling the appetite, a bonus for people wanting to lose weight. Given all of these benefits, chickpeas are a healthy addition to any meal time. Here is a quick and easy recipe for our chickpea croquettes.
Servings: 20 croquettes
Calories: 2817 total, 140 per croquette
Ingredients
- 1 leek, cut thinly
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot, shredded (or thinly cut)
- ½ cup olives
- 3 cups of cooked chickpeas
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp oregano
- Handful parsley
- ¾ cup oats, blend into a powder
Method
1. Cook the leek on a medium flame for 5 minutes, adding a touch of water every now and again to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and carrot and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.
2. Blend the chick peas, olives, cumin, coriander and oregano. Put the mix in a bowl and add the vegetables and parsley.
3. Add enough oat flour to keep the mixture together.
4. Take some of the dough, make into a golf ball and then roll into a croquette shape.
5. Bake the croquettes at 170 degrees C, for about 10 minutes on each side until lightly brown.
Let us know how you get on with your croquettes!
About the author
- Lisa is one of the founders of La Crisalida Retreats. She is an Epidemiologist, therapeutic hatha and yin yoga teacher and also teaches mindfulness meditation. Lisa has studied NLP and hypnosis, as well as nutrition (she designs the menus).
