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Ah! Savoury chickpea pancakes. Food of the Gods and my main go-to bread substitute. These are ever so simple to make and they’ll batch cook up a treat.
And they might just change your life they’re that easy and delicious.
But why Chickpea Pancakes instead of GF Bread from the shop? Surely that’s a faff?
Well, I’ve mentioned in my Homemade GF Bread blogpost the touch of gentle melancholy that strikes when one eats things like faux bread and faux cheese. It’s just not the same as the real stuff. And you keenly feel like you’re missing out.
So, one of my top tips for anyone who is going gluten-free… avoid feeling sad.
Cook a completely different set of options rather than trying to recreate standard wheaty fare. Having said that, you might spot a familiar friend or two in the next section and feel quite joyful. Read on…
What can you eat these Savoury Chickpea Pancakes with?
Oh, the versatility of these pancakes! To start with, decide how thick you want them. More as a foccaccia sort of think, maybe more flatbready or add more water and then you’ve got a wrap.
You can have them as a side for a salad or soup. For years now I’ve been throwing them into packed lunches as sandwich substitutes. These also fill up a treat with delicious things like ham and cheese, ready to be stuck under the grill and enjoyed like a super posh ham-and-cheese toastie.
Another option is to have them as a sort of pizza base, smothered in tomato passata, sprinkled with various pizza-esque toppings and then popped in a hot oven for a few moments to cook and crisp up.
And in times of genteel refinement, when you have a quiet moment with a glass of wine and some nibbly things, these pancakes are delicious with dips and olives.
What are Chickpea Pancakes made from?
Water, salt, pepper, olive oil and gram flour. Essentially ground, dried chickpeas. You can buy it in 2kg bags at larger supermarkets or Asian supermarkets as it’s used a lot in Indian cooking, the most famous example probably is the onion bhaji.
Yum.
Gram flour is amazingly versatile (and reasonably priced) stuff, with uses in the kitchen that include:
- As a binder for meatballs and meatloaf
- As a batter for fritters
- As a protein boost for cakes or biscuits
- As a thickener for soups and sauces
- Gram flour really is an indispensable ingredient, not just for a gluten-free kitchen, but any kitchen.
A small cultural detour…
I wish I could claim credit for the creation of chickpea pancakes. However, they’ve been a staple in the Mediterranean for centuries, if not thousands of years and you can find versions in South West France, North West Italy and Sicily.
The humble chickpea, this powerhouse of a legume, has fed generations and fortified armies a plenty.
I’m sure civilisations have risen and fallen depending on the access they had to chickpeas. For example, even today, talk of the origins of humus will raise hackles and charged senses of patriotism amongst the peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean, Persia, Arabia, North Africa and the Aegean.
So, don’t underestimate the power, political and nutritional, of the chickpea. And they’re jolly cheap as well so make sure you’ve a tin or ten at the ready in the pantry for a quick meal.
In conclusion
Weep no more at the prospect of a future without sandwiches. Embrace the humble chickpea and its versatility, especially in the form of a savoury pancake (ideally batch cooked in one fell swoop, with a wodge in in the freezer ready for a future lunch or supper. By golly, you’ll feel smug and healthy if you do).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of chickpea pancakes?
They’re gluten-free, full of fibre, protein and the sort of carbohydrates that give you a longer lasting energy boost than wheat-based pancakes. Gram flour is also full of lovely things like iron, manganese, folate, copper and magnesium. All great stuff.
Can I use canned chickpeas instead of chickpea flour?
Nope. You need to make gram flour from dried chickpeas ground up in a food processor. Sieve it to get rid of bigger bits that didn’t get whizzed up. The flour that remains will stay fresh for between 6 and 8 weeks in an airtight container.
Or you could just buy the gram flour, ready made. Easy peasy.
Where did chickpea pancakes come from?
All over the Mediterranean. You get a southern French version called a socca, an Italian one called farinata and gram flour is the basis for a Sicillian fritter called panelle.
Savoury Chickpea Pancakes
A delicious and nourishing alternative to wraps for your packed lunch.
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Gram (chickpea / garbanzo) Flour
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Ground Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Dried Mixed Herbs / Dried Oregano / Fresh Rosemary
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 4 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- Extra Olive Oil For Frying
Instructions
- Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add all the wet ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter.
- Heat up a splash of the extra olive oil in a frying pan on a medium to high heat.
- Put a ladle-worth's of batter into the frying pan.
- When bubbles start coming up in the centre of the pancake, flip over and cook for another minute or so. Take out and put to the side.
- Keep going until you've used all the batter.
- Serve up warm sliced into wedges or quarters. Enjoy with soup, salad, cold meat or whatever you'd normally have with some bread.
- You can also freeze what is left to use on another occasion.
Notes
For a finer wrap, add another cup of water to the batter. Have a play and see what you prefer.
The thicker pancakes are also delicious toasted under the grill. A great alternative to cheese toasties!
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