This vegetarian version of scotch eggs uses spiced chickpeas. Easy and delicious.
- 9 large eggs
- 3 slices wholemeal bread
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 14 oz / 400 g can chickpeas
- bunch of parsley
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 oz / 30 g dried breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- Boil 8 of the eggs for 5 mins, then plunge into a bowl of cold water. Peel, when cool enough. Put the bread in a food processor and turn it into coarse breadcrumbs.
- Put olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add chopped onions and minced garlic. Cook until soft and golden. Add cumin and coriander, stir and cook for another 30 seconds. Put in a food processor and whizz to a paste. Add the drained chickpeas, parsley, wholemeal breadcrumbs, flour, remaining egg, salt and pepper, and pulse until finely chopped but not pasty.
- Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Put flour in a shallow plate, mix dried breadcrumbs and sesame seeds in another. Roll one of the eggs in flour. Oil your hands and flatten a portion of chickpeas mixture between your hands, wrap it around the egg, squashing it together at the joints to seal. Roll in breadcrumbs-sesame mixture. Repeat for all remaining eggs.
- Put the oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the eggs in batches, turning, until golden and crisp on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper, slice in half and serve warm or cold.
