Revithokeftedes — Aegean Chickpea Fritters
Crisp outside, creamy inside — the classic meze of the Aegean islands, finished with lemon
⏱
25 min
Prep
🍳
20 min
Cook
👥
4
Serves
📊
Easy
Difficulty
🍽️
<p>Revithokeftedes are not unique to Chios, but they belong absolutely to the Aegean table and appear on every island from Santorini to Samos. The best versions have a proper crust — properly hot oil, not too much batter — with a soft, herb-flecked interior that tastes of the chickpeas rather than the coating.</p><p>They make perfect meze alongside a cold glass of ouzo or a pour of the local souma, with nothing more than a halved lemon alongside. They can also be made a couple of hours ahead and rewarmed in a hot oven, which actually improves the crust.</p>
Ingredients
- 400g cooked chickpeas, well drained (canned is fine, just rinse and dry them thoroughly)
- 1 small onion, grated or very finely chopped
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried mint)
- 2 tablespoons plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (or 2 tablespoons mashed potato for an egg-free version)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil or neutral oil for shallow frying
- Lemon wedges to serve
Method
- Drain the chickpeas thoroughly and spread them on a clean tea towel to dry as much as possible — excess moisture is the enemy of a good crust.
- Mash the chickpeas in a large bowl using a fork or potato masher. Leave some texture — you want a rough mash, not a puree.
- Add the grated onion, spring onions, parsley, mint, flour, and egg. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix until everything comes together. If the mixture feels too loose to shape, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- With floured hands, shape the mixture into small flat patties about 4cm across. Dust lightly with flour on both sides.
- Heat a generous layer of oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a small piece of mixture sizzles immediately on contact.
- Fry the fritters in batches — do not crowd the pan — for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp. Resist the urge to move them before they are ready to release naturally.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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