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Chickpea Tenders
5 from 2 votes

Chickpea Tenders

Perfect for any time of day, this recipe delivers great flavor effortlessly.

Course: Others

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chickpeas AKA garbanzo beans
  • black pepper
  • curry leaves
  • 1 ½ cups textured vegetable protein
  • 3 cups vital wheat gluten
  • 6 tablespoons pea protein
  • 9 grams salt
  • 30 g Shan channa spice mix or any mix of your favorite spices
  • 1 jackfruit 20 ounces, canned in brine
  • lime juice
  • olive oil
  • 1 coconut milk unsweetened, 13.5 ounces, can
  • 1 lime cut in wedges
  • 1 coconut cream 5.4 ounces, canned
  • breadcrumbs
  • chickpea flour
  • all-purpose flour
  • cornstarch

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse canned/drain fresh cooked chickpeas and season with black pepper and fresh curry leaves. I’ve also added one of my home-made spice cubes, a mix of Serrano peppers, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and cilantro with olive oil for some extra flavor, so feel free to add your own spices for some extra punch.
  2. Prepare the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl - 3 cups vital wheat gluten, 6 tablespoons pea protein, 1 ½ cups textured vegetable protein, 9g salt and 30g spice Shan Channa mix (or any other spices you like). Set aside.
  3. Drain a can of young jackfruit and shred into pieces. Lightly toss with some lime juice and olive oil. Pan fry, bake (400 F) or air fry until crispy. Once the jackfruits start to brown, toss in some chickpea flour, cornstarch and about 2 cups of the chickpeas and keep cooking until chickpeas and jackfruit are both golden brown. Add browned jackfruit and chickpeas to dry ingredients and toss.
  4. Blend or mash the remaining chickpeas adding tap water as necessary. Pour into dry mixture and mix together, kneading until there are no dry spots.
  5. In a large, high walled pan or a pot, add coconut milk and lime wedges – and any other spices you might light to flavor the milk – and bring to a low simmer. Place the dough into the liquid, cover with foil or lid and steam for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool – and pat yourself on the back because you just made seitan!
  6. While the seitan is cooling, create your breading area. Mix some cornstarch, chickpea flour and all-purpose flour on a large plate. Mix a can of coconut cream and lime zest in a bowl. Lastly, place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Have two cookie sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats ready and preheat the oven to 350 F.
  7. Form the chickpea mixture into tender shapes. Lightly roll in flour mixture, then dip in cream mixture. Shake off any drips before rolling in breadcrumbs. Place tenders on the cookie sheet leaving some room so it’s easier to turn them.
  8. Bake until brown and crispy. Remove from tray and allow to cool for a few minutes on racks before serving.

Notes

  • This recipe should yield about 55 tenders. Each one is about 100 calories with 9 grams of protein. You can store these for a few days in the refrigerator (they reheat well in the oven or air fryer) or wrap tightly to store in freezer.