Spiced Chickpea Fritters with Greek Salad, Pita & Garlicky White Sauce

Step 1

• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. (TIP: If you have a toaster oven, feel free to skip preheating—you’ll use it to toast the pitas in step 5.) Wash and dry all produce. • Trim and halve cucumber lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise into half-moons. Dice tomato. Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the shallot; mince remaining shallot. Pick and roughly chop fronds from dill. Quarter lemon. Peel and mince or grate garlic.

Step 2

• In a small bowl, combine cucumber, tomato, sliced shallot, half the chopped dill, and half the feta (save the rest for serving). Stir in a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper. • In a separate small bowl, combine sour cream with a pinch of garlic to taste. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

• Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in a medium bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork until almost smooth. (It’s okay if there are still some larger chickpea pieces.) • In a large bowl, whisk together tempura mix, Shawarma Spice, salt (we used ¾ tsp), and 1/3 cup water until smooth. (For 4 servings, use 1½ tsp salt and 2/3 cup water.) • Stir in mashed chickpeas, minced shallot, remaining garlic, and remaining chopped dill. Season with pepper. TIP: If tempura mixture is too thick, add more water 1 TBSP at a time until it reaches a pancake-batter-like consistency.

Step 4

• Heat a 1/3-inch layer of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added to the pan, carefully add heaping ¼-cup scoops of chickpea batter. TIP: Add your batter to the pan close to the oil to avoid splatter. You may need to cook fritters in batches. • Cook fritters until golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes per side. • Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer fritters to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with a pinch of salt. Turn off heat.

Step 5

• While fritters cook, toast pitas on top rack (use a baking sheet or place directly on oven rack) until warm and pliable. Halve crosswise. TIP: You can use your toaster oven instead, if you have one. Keep an eye on the pitas as they toast—they should be soft, not crispy.

Step 6

• Divide fritters and salad (draining first) between plates. Top with remaining feta. Serve with pitas, sauce, and any remaining lemon wedges on the side. TIP: If you like, stuff pitas with fritters and salad, then drizzle with sauce for falafel-inspired sandwiches!