Curried Chickpea Fritters with Lamb Chops

Wash and dry produce.
Halve, peel, and finely dice onion until you have 1 cup; mince remaining onion until you have 2 TBSP and set aside in a medium bowl for Step 4. (For 4 servings, finely dice whole onion; mince diced onion until you have 4 TBSP.) Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Roughly chop spinach. Quarter lime. Peel and mince garlic. Drain and rinse chickpeas.

Melt 1 TBSP butter in a small pot over medium-high heat (use 2 TBSP butter and a medium pot for 4 servings). Add diced onion, scallion whites, cashews, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.Stir in rice, stock concentrate, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4), and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Turn off heat.Add spinach. Cover until wilted, about 2 minutes; stir to combine.

While rice cooks, place raisins in a small bowl (roughly chop any large raisins if necessary). Add juice from one lime wedge (two wedges for 4 servings), a pinch of salt, and just enough hot water to cover. Set aside to pickle.In a separate small bowl, combine sour cream, yogurt, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of garlic to taste. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Add chickpeas to bowl with minced onion. Mash chickpeas with a potato masher or fork until almost smooth. (It’s OK if there are still some larger pieces.) Stir in tempura batter mix, scallion greens, remaining garlic, ⅓ cup water (⅔ cup for 4 servings), and 2 tsp curry powder (4 tsp for 4; be sure to measure) until evenly combined. Season with salt (we used ¾ tsp; 1½ tsp for 4) and pepper. TIP: Batter should be thick but not dry—add more water 1 TBSP at a time if necessary.

Heat a ⅓-inch layer of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added to the pan, add ¼-cup scoops of batter. (TIP: You may need to work in batches. Carefully drop your batter close to the oil to avoid splatter.) Cook until golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes per side.Using a slotted spoon, transfer fritters to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season with a pinch of salt.

Divide rice pilaf between plates and top with chickpea fritters. Drizzle with creamy garlic sauce and as many pickled raisins (draining first) as you like. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side.