Ingredients
19 total- 60g sunflower seeds
- 250g gram flour
- 1½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or ¼ scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 leeks, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 echalion shallot, diced
- ½ red pepper, finely diced
- 100ml chickpea liquid, from a tin
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra wedges to serve
- 2 tsp agave or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ tsp English mustard (check for gluten free)
- 80ml (approx.) flavourless oil, for frying
- 4 handfuls salad leaves, to serve
Method
5 stepsStep 1
For the sunflower seed cream, put the sunflower seeds in a bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 1 hr.
Step 2
For the fritters, combine the gram flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, garlic granules, thyme, 1 tsp sea salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper or scotch bonnet in a bowl. Whisk in 250ml water to create a thick, smooth batter. Fold in the leeks, shallots and red pepper; season. Leave for 20 mins.
Step 3
Meanwhile, drain the sunflower seeds; blitz in a high-speed blender with the chickpea liquid, lemon juice, agave or maple syrup, cider vinegar, mustard and remaining sea salt to make a sauce (loosen with a splash of water, if needed); season.
Step 4
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. If you like, test the batter seasoning by frying 1 tsp of it in the pan; allow to cool a bit, then taste and adjust as needed. Cook the fritters in 2 batches of 6, using 2 heaped tbsp of batter for each and frying for 1-2 mins on each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Step 5
Serve the fritters on a bed of sunflower-seed cream with a handful of salad leaves and the lemon wedges for squeezing over. Store leftover cream in a chilled airtight container for 1-2 weeks.