By blog team member, Kiran. To learn more about Kiran, check out our team page!
As you may recall from some of our previous posts, “pulse” is an international term for legumes such as lentils, beans, dry peas, and chickpeas. These are all nutritional powerhouses that are easy and cheap to grow, and they’re also real food of course! So, since the UN declared 2016 as the International Year of the Pulse, we’ve been partnering with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada to help create awareness and encourage people to incorporate more pulses into their everyday diets. This could help with many food related issues around the world, so it’s truly a win-win for everyone!
But, rather than just telling you to eat more pulses, we thought we’d show you how to do just that with a series of easy and tasty recipes. The first three were: Indian-themed Spinach Chana Dal, Shrimp and Lettuce Wraps, and (a family favorite) Breakfast Cookies made with Chickpea Flour. And today you’ll find Yellow Split-Pea Fritters below. I also encourage you to find out more about pulses and their value worldwide by clicking here and then taking the pledge to incorporate more pulses into your diet.
Personally, this topic hits very close to home. During my trip to visit family in India last year, I saw many different forms of pulses – more than I ever realized were available – while perusing the street bazaars. In fact, most every meal I ate there included at least one pulse. In addition, I recently learned what an economically important crop this is for farmers in my father’s home country. We’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – you vote with your dollars, and it’s important to know the facts before you buy.
So on the topic of India, I have another Indian-themed recipe for you to try. This is kind of similar to falafel but utilizes yellow split peas, which are rich in dietary fiber and protein. I like them because they are a plant-based protein source, bite-sized, and also fairly inexpensive (and easy!) to make. Oh, and did I mention that they are pretty yummy, too? :) I like to serve these with a chutney or yogurt sauce, or you could even throw them in a wrap, nestled in with some fresh vegetables. They could also make a unique topping for a salad. No matter how you eat them, you can’t go wrong!
Yellow Split Pea Fritters
Similar to falafel, these split pea fritters are a plant-based protein source, bite-sized, and also fairly inexpensive (and easy!) to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow split peas, soaked 4+ hours
- 1 onion, medium, chopped
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 handful cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- avocado oil, or olive oil, for shallow frying
Instructions
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Soak yellow split peas for a minimum of 4 hours. Drain and rinse.
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Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined.
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Heat 1 - 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet. Scoop a spoonful of mixture into your hand and form into a loose ball. Add to pan and flatten with a spatula. Be careful not to overcrowd.
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Cook until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes, flip and repeat until cooked on the other side.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Let me know if you try this or any of our other recipes from this pulses series.
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Sounds delicious
Hi Rhonda. Trying the split pea fritters tonight. Are you sure you don’t cook these in any way before frying them?
I cannot tell you how much I love these kinds of recipes. I made a bunch of zucchini fritters and froze them–they were a quick lunch ready to pop in the microwave. I am going to do the same with these. We usually have some leftover (homemade) tomato sauce in the fridge, which tends to work really well. Or yogurt with some spices and cucumber if I’m feeling more ambitious.
Thank you! I wouldn’t have thought of yellow split peas, but they are so nutritious.
Thank you for this idea. I completely agree to Taste of France :-) Happy holidays to all !
Hello, did you try this recipe with your waffle adventures? I’ve seen falafel made in a waffle maker before and I wasn’t sure if this would work as is or if you would have to add a bit of flour.
That’s a good idea. Let us know if you try it! :)
These were delicious, but they seemed to fall apart? I made them and they didn’t work as thick as the photo shows. If you pick them up, they bend and mush. It was like fried re-friend beans as far as texture. Do they need a binder added into the recipe or did I do something wrong?
The only change was I had to do a quick soak on the lentils because I decided to make them for dinner, I boiled the lentils for 1 minute and let them sit in the warm water for an hour.
Hi Melany,
I suspect that since you boiled them they were a bit mushier than mine. You can always add a TBSP or two of flour (and use gf 1:1 flour if you want them to be gf) to act as a binder. Let me know if you have better luck next time.
Kiran
I used mayo as an emulsifier when I encountered the same problem. I think an egg would work great, but I was out!
Would it work to substitute green split peas? I’d really like to try these and already have the green ones on hand.
I honestly have not tried them with green split peas. If you give it a try, let us know how they work!
Kiran, thank you for this recipe. I tried them the first time with green split peas as I didn’t have yellow. It was a success!! I like the fact that I don’t have to cook them first and can make them into patties after a few instructions. My boys love them! making them again, tonight!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them, and thank you for reporting in on the fact that the green split peas worked:).
These are delicious! Served with yogurt garlic sauce.
So glad that you enjoyed them!
These are a really nice alternative to falafel that I look forward to making again. Mine were a bit dry, but I think I may have overblended them. They were flavorful and went great with a side salad and some dipping sauce.
Delicious! Tastes a lot like falafel. Relatively easy, too.
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed them:).
Never had split peas before. But your recipe sounds good. I’m going to try making them and let you know. Ok, thanks
Good for diabetes?
Do these still turn out well if you make them ahead of time and freeze them?
Haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not. – Nicole
This is absolutely delicious!!! Made with dried green peas and it is my new favorite thing!!! Fabulous!!! Thank you for posting such as easy breezy vegan delight!!!
You are so welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed them:).
Note that these will absorb a lot of oil and thus will become significantly more calorically dense than 54 kcal per serving.
I made these today. I was gifted bags of yellow split peas. I was very happy with how they turned out. I will crank up the spice a little next time