You don’t need hours in the galley to impress your family or friends. I cooked this for Dwayne and myself for lunch when we arrived at Koh Phi Phi Don after sailing there from Ao Chalong in Phuket (did you know we live on a boat?) This recipe is delicious and straightforward. The salad, with flavours of soy, sesame, lime, coriander, and mint is refreshing and delightful for lunch or dinner. I think this is one of those meals you can cook for your family or dress it up a little for an exciting dinner party entree or main course. Play around with garnishes and add a little colour with a sprinkle of chopped red chilli.
*This recipe can serve up to four people depending on the size of chickpea fritters.
Ingredients
For the fritters
1 x 439g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained.
6 Tablespoons besan flour (or use plain flour)
3 eggs, lightly whisked
5 Tbs milk
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Salt & pepper
Oil for frying
For the chicken salad
375ml (1 ½ cup) chicken stock
250 ml (1 cup) water
8 fresh kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
2 single chicken breast fillets, excess fat trimmed
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1/3 cup loosely packed chopped fresh coriander (I have also use Thai basil place of coriander)
¼ cup loosely packed shredded fresh mint
1 Tbs light soy
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
Method
For the chicken salad, combine stock, water and lime leaves in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and simmer, occasionally turning, for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat. Transfer chicken to a heatproof bowl with one tablespoon of the stock mixture. Cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, mash half a can of chickpeas using a fork. Add the eggs and milk, and mix well. Add the flour, spring onions and season with salt and pepper, and mix. Add in the other half a can of chickpeas and mix until well combined. Set aside to rest while you make the salad.
To make the chicken salad, finely shred the chicken and place in a bowl. Add the coriander, mint, soy sauce, lime juice, chilli sauce and sesame oil to the chicken and gently toss until just combined.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and spread into a round shape. Repeat to make three (or 7*) more fritters. Cook for four minutes or until golden underneath. Turn and cook for a further four minutes or until cooked. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
To serve place one fritter on each plate and top with a small amount of chicken salad. Top with another fritter and then top with the remaining chicken salad. Sprinkle with finely chopped red chilli if desired and serve immediately.