Spicy Courgette and Sweetcorn Fritters

A plant-based version of a classic; courgette and sweetcorn fritters. Leaving out the egg and replacing it with chickpea (or gram) flour creates the key binding ingredient for these fritters. The grated courgette, lemon zest, sweetcorn and fresh mint come together for a refreshing and delicious flavour, perfect for a summer BBQ or light lunch! Plus it has minimal ingredients!

All you’ll need to make courgette and sweetcorn fritters is:

• Courgette

• Tinned sweetcorn

• Fresh mint (coriander or parsley also work well)

• Gram flour

• Chilli flakes (to your personal taste)

• Lemon

• Vegetable oil for frying

• Vegan yoghurt & sweet chilli sauce for serving (optional)

Firstly, grate the courgette, and drain the sweetcorn. As courgette and sweetcorn can be very wet, it is worth putting them in a tea towel, and squeezing out the excess liquid before adding the remaining ingredients in. This really helps them to bind together. Just be don’t use your favourite tea towel!

Next you can add all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together – the mint can be swapped with parsley or coriander for a different taste. I personally love the mint as it is so fresh.

You can also adjust the amount of chilli flakes, depending on your preference. Then set this in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow the mixture to start to bind together. After it’s set ou’ll notice the texture change when you come back to it, making it much easier to shape into patties.

This mixture should make 8 small fritters. Divide and roll small balls, and flatten into a patties.

In a large frying pan, pour in enough vegetable oil to cover the base of the pan. Then heat on medium to high heat. When the oil is hot, add the fritters and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, turning when golden brown. Once they’re crispy and brown on both sides, remove from the pan onto a kitchen or tea towel to soak up the excess oil.

I love serving this up with a side dip of coconut yoghurt and mint, or coconut yoghurt with sweet chilli sauce stirred through. These will go beautifully on top of a crisp green salad in the summer, or with roasted green veg and wedges for a midweek dinner.