CHICKPEA PANCAKE
Chickpea Pancake with Vegetables and Rocket Leaves
This gluten free Chickpea Pancake has become a bit of an obsession of mine recently. It is an easy egg-free, dairy free and soya free savoury pancke which is great for an omelette-type breakfast, or a quick lunch with some veggies and salad on the side. It is so simple to put together and can be combined with any vegetables, or dips. So let’s take a closer look at the ingredients and cooking methods.
What is chickpea flour?
Chickpea flour is a staple ingredient in the Indian subcontinent cuisine, and it is also known as Gram flour or Garbanzo flour. It is made from ground dried chickpeas and has an earthy, nutty taste, making it more suitable for savoury dishes than sweet ones. It is protein, fibre and iron rich.
Is chickpea flour gluten free?
Yes it is indeed gluten free.
Can I replace chickpea flour with a different flour?
No, unfortunately this is not possible for this dish. Chickpea batter has an egg-like consistency which makes it perfect for this dish (or as a general egg replacement in some vegan cooked or baked dishes).
How should I prepare chickpea flour for this pancake?
The chickpea flour should be mixed with all the spices, herbs and other ingredients as marked in the recipe and also an equal part of water, milk of choice, or vegetable stock. A word of warning … batter made from chickpea flour has a rather unpleasant taste … so don’t be tempted to lick your fingers if you have some batter on it. Luckily this changes as soon as it is cooked.
What else is there to note for the dish?
Firstly, let the batter rest for about 10-15 minutes after mixing it. This is a good time to fry your vegtables if you are using them. Secondly, chickpea flour batter can stick quite badly to your pan so use a non-sticking frying pan if you can. If you do not have one of these, just make sure you use oil before you pour the batter into the hot pan. Personally, even though I do use a non-stick pan, I often still add a little bit of oil before pouring the batter in.
Once you have poured the batter into the pan, let it cook at medium to higher heat for about 5 minutes. Then check with a spatula if the underside is cooked before flipping it over. Don’t attempt to flip the pancake if you cannot move it around the pan - it will only end in pancake mess …
Flip it, cook for a few more minutes on the other side. Serve with some vegetables and salad on the side. Full recipe is below if you would like to print it out.
I hope you enjoy this Chickpea Pancake dish.
CHICKPEA PANCAKE
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 red onion
- 1/2 red pepper
- 2 chestnut mushrooms
- 1 tbsp tamari or dark soya sauce
- handful of green salad leaves
- drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Mix all the pancake batter ingredients in a bowl and leave to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- Heat a non-stick pan.
- Chop the onion finely. Slice the pepper and the mushrooms.
- Fry all the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the tamari and leave for another 2 minutes. Remove all from the pan.
- Heat the pan up again. Add the batter in a round pancake shape. Leave it to cook for a good 5 minutes before you attempt to flip it. Wtih a spatula, check that the underside is fully cooked by moving the pancake around the pan. If it is cooked, flip the pancake over, then fry for a few more minutes from the other side.
- Arrange the pancake on a plate, fill with green salad leaves, then flip over one half of it. Serve with vegetables on top and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Notes:
Chickpea flour cannot be replaced with any other flour here.
Use a good non-stick frying pan and a little bit of oil to prevent the pancake from sticking.
You can prepare the pancake batter up to 24 hours ahead. Give it a good stir before you pour it into the hot pan. If it gets too thick, add a little more water.
Don't be tempted to taste the batter - chickpea flour batter has a rather unpleasant taste before it is cooked. Luckily this changes once the pancake is cooked.
Go ahead and be creative - use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge to eat with the pancake.