Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse under water, then shake off any excess water, transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl, and using a potato masher or large fork mash down on the chickpeas until they're well mashed

Crack 1 egg into a bowl and whisk together, then pour over the mashed chickpeas, along with the 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and season with salt & pepper, mix together until well mixed, then push down on the mixture until you end up with a paste-like texture

To shape the nuggets, grab a spoonful of the mixture and squeeze it in your hands, then shape it into a nugget, a little over a 1/4 inch thick (1 cm), as you finish each nugget, transfer over some parchment paper

Add the flour into a bowl, crack 2 eggs into a separate bowl, season with salt & pepper, and whisk together, add the panko breadcrumbs into a third separate bowl

Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the sunflower oil

While the oil is heating coat the nuggets, first in the flour, then into the egg wash, and finally into the breadcrumbs, making sure at each stage that they're fully coated all around, if you see your nuggets are breaking apart as you coat them, add them into the freezer for 30 minutes, which will harden them up, then try coating them again

Once the oil is nice and hot, add in the nuggets, all in a single layer and evenly spaced out, cook in batches, fry for 3 minutes per side or until golden and crispy, as you finish each batch, transfer over a wire rack with paper towels underneath

Serve these chickpea nuggets warm or even at room temperature, next to your favorite dipping sauce, enjoy!