Cumin pea and bulgur fritters with lemon yogurt sauce

I have indulged a little too much on meat and desserts over the two weeks holiday in the states, so I have been trying to prepare light meals and snacks with more vegetables and healthy carbs. This dish is just what I need, packed with nutrients and flavors made with ingredients I always have in my kitchen. I like using Middle Eastern spice when I cook with bulgur wheat, and cumin works perfectly well in this recipe. The tangy lemon yogurt sauce adds freshness to fritters. This recipe can be great for finger food at a party as well.

• Prep time: 1.5hrs
• Cooking time: 10-15mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

Fritters

• 1 ½ cup. frozen or fresh green peas
• ½ cup. bulgur wheat
• 1 cup. water
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. semolina
• 3 tbsp. olive oil

Lemon yogurt sauce

• ½ cup. organic non fat natural yogurt
• 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ of fresh lemon zest
• 1 mild red chili (optional)

Cook frozen green peas in a boiling water for a few minutes and drain. If you are using fresh peas, simply wash them and drain. Puree them in a food processor and set aside to cool. Boil 1 cup of water in a pot and add bulgur wheat. Stir for 1 minute, bring the heat down to low and cover to simmer gently for 7 minutes. When bulgur wheat is cooked and all the water has been absorbed, remove from the heat and mix with pea puree in a bowl. Leave it to cool for a few minutes.

Season the mixture with cumin, ground black pepper and garlic powder. Taste and add a little pinch of salt to your liking. Stir in semolina to bind everything together. Shape the mixture into a 4-5cm diameter and 1.5cm thick round patties. You should have minimum of 12 in total. Place them in a fridge to set for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare lemon yogurt sauce and set aside. Finely chop and deseed red chili then set aside separately.

Add olive oil in a medium heat non-stick pan. Gently place the patties (add a little more oil if necessary), making sure they don’t burn. It should take about 2-3 minutes on each side to cook to golden and crispy. When they are ready remove from the heat, place onto paper towel and gently pat down.

After cooling the fritters for a few minutes plate them with lemon yogurt sauce and red chili garnish.