Chipotle Quinoa Fritters
Crispy chipotle quinoa fritters with spicy dipping sauce are a game day hit!
Last fall, I attended a dinner as part of the New York City Wine and Food Festival and one of the biggest hits of the night was a falafel-type fritter made with quinoa, white beans, and broccoli. I’ve been looking for an excuse to play with this idea ever since!
I finally found the perfect opportunity: This week, #SundaySupper is being sponsored by Gallo Family Vineyards and it’s all about game day entertaining. Wine probably isn’t the first thing to come to most people’s minds when they think about football – I know it certainly isn’t for me – but it actually pairs with game day foods really well. Reds go great with meaty dishes like ropa vieja; crisp whites are perfect alongside fried foods.
I created these Chipotle Quinoa Fritters with Gallo’s chardonnay in mind and, as anticipated, the pairing was a huge hit. The fritters were smokey and spicy (but not too spicy!) and came with a fantastic dipping sauce that has the perfect amount of kick. They’re also loaded with protein and fiber from quinoa, chickpeas, and cauliflower. The chardonnay was perfect for washing away any lingering spiciness between bites, so each fritter tasted just as good as the one before.
Chipotle Quinoa Fritters #SundaySupper
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup finely chopped cauliflower
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 chipotle peppers finely chopped plus 2 tablespoons adobo
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 15- ounce cans chickpeas garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- oil for frying
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons adobo
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower, garlic, shallot and simmer another 5 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and stir in the mozzarella, chopped chipotles, adobo, and salt. Add the chickpeas and egg; use a potato masher or heavy wooden spoon to mash everything together, breaking the chickpeas down into a relatively smooth paste.
- Use a teaspoon to form the mixture into rounds; coat with bread crumbs.
- In a large pan, heat 2-inches of oil to 275ºF. Add the fritters and cook until golden brown, 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove from the oil and let drain on a cooling rack set over some paper towels.
- While the fritters cool, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing together the yogurt, lime juice, and adobo. Add salt to taste.
- Serve the chipotle quinoa fritters and dipping sauce warm or at room temperature.
Notes
A huge thank you to Gallo Family Vineyards for sponsoring this week’s Sunday Supper! Find their wines near you using their store locator or connect with them online via facebook, twitter, instagram, and youtube.
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
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These sound and look great! I wonder if my husband will notice the quinoa in these, or if he’ll just eat them! I might try baking them, have you tried that at all? I’m just not a huge fan of frying stuff, but these look so good!
These sound delicious! I love the deep chipotle flavor with the nutty quinoa!
I MUST try these!!! A combination on two of the best kind of fried balls…hushpuppies and falafel!
I love how these are sort of similar to falafel (one of my fav foods!) but with a flavor profile from a totally different part of the world. Great recipe, I will be trying to very soon, and maybe putting these into a pita sandwich or something 🙂
Mmm these sound good! I’ve only had quinoa once or twice, and that was because somebody else made it. If I do experiment with cooking it, I’ll keep these fritters in mind.
I love these Lauren. I made Black Eyed Pea fritters last year and they were so good! Quinoa is such a great grain being a full protein I’m sure these have great nutritional value as well as are delicious!