Culture

Split Peas are commonly used in soups and curries. They have a surprisingly high amount of protein which means they are filling, and they’re budget as can be, making them a very economical option for flat cooking. This recipe is basically corn fritters, replacing half of the corn with split peas. This is a great vegetarian recipe for anytime of day, if you have leftovers you can freeze them to recook for a lazy lunch.

 Since its kale season, I chucked in some Cavolo de Nero (black kale in Italian) for colour (it’s actually green). At the moment you can find plenty in the Living Space community garden or for only $2 a bunch at the Saturday Farmers Market. Makes 12, serves 3-4.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried split peas
• 2 and 1/4 cups of water
• 2 eggs
• 2 and 1/4 cups of milk 
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 teaspoons of onion powder 
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon of dried parsley (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of salt 
• Pepper to taste 
• 1 cup of whole corn kernels (frozen or canned) 
• 1 handful of kale or spring onion, sliced into shreds 
• Oil for frying
• Sauces to dip or dollop on to it, like tomato, sweet chilli, barbeque sauce, or sour cream

Method

1. In a medium pot, boil the split peas with the water for around half an hour until most of the water is soaked up, and the split peas are soft and kind of mushy. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the batter by sifting and mixing together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and seasonings). In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients (milk, eggs). 
3. Once the split peas have cooled, drain any excess water from the pot. 
4. Add the wet batter ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold mixture until there are no clumps, then add the split peas, corn (if using frozen, defrost it first), and kale. Fold all together until mixture is even with corn, split peas and kale. You may have to add more milk if it seems too thick.
5. Prepare a frying pan on medium-high heat with a thin layer of oil to fry the fritters in. 
6. Now you’re basically gonna cook them like pancakes - spoon and spread batter into 10cm wide circles and flip once bubbles appear around the sides or approximately after half a minute. Keep topping up pan with oil as required.
7. Once fritters are brown on both sides and cooked through, serve with desired sauces.