Savoury Chickpea Flour Pancakes

I felt like a kitchen pirate that walked off with the loot when I discovered a veritable treasure trove of interesting goodies a few days ago...

• Gluten-free pappadums that are perfect for popping under the grill for a quick snack.
• Curry leaves and yellow mustard seeds for a spicy sautéed potato dish.
• Sago for sago pudding (similar to rice pudding but cooler...like eating little see-through pearls of fish eggs, except not gross). 

I also found bags of chickpea flour...

Chickpea flour = chana flour = gram flour = garbanzo flour = besan.

According to Wikipedia:

"Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines, and, in the form of a paste with water or yoghurt, a popular facial exfoliant in the Indian Subcontinent. Moreover, when mixed with an equal proportion of water, can be used as an egg-replacer in vegan cooking.

Chila (or chilla), a pancake made with gram flour batter, is a popular street and fast food in India.

Gram flour contains a high proportion of carbohydrates but no gluten. Despite this, in comparison to other flours, it has a relatively high proportion of protein."

So no egg = no problem. This four holds its own.

Recipe

P.S. This isn't a recipe of exacts...rather just a smidgen of this and a pinch of that. 

Go by texture and feel!

Ingredients:

- Chickpea/garbanzo/gram flour

- Water

- Jeera or Cumin (whole)

- Dried Chilli

- Black Mustard Seeds

- Salt

- Vegetable Oil

Method:

1. Chuck some chana flour in a mixing bowl.
2. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch or two of jeera, a pinch or three of black mustard seeds, and a pinch or four of dried chillies.
3. Add sufficient water to make a medium-thick batter, and then mix in a half teaspoon of vegetable oil.
4. Lightly oil a non-stick crepe pan, and pre-heat it briefly over a medium heat.
5. Drop a small ladleful of batter onto the centre of the pan, and watch it sizzle.
6. Flip when it bubbles. Go for very lightly golden brown.
7. Make a rocking savoury topping (see ideas below) and chow down on some grindage.

Scoops of fresh avocado with a sprinkling of salt and dried chilli.

Zhoeshed chickpeas with dried chillies, salt, jeera; 

topped with cucumber slices.

Scotch pancakes with a twist

After walking past it for weeks, I finally bought myself a non-stick pancake pan the other day. Good thing too since two days later, they were gone off the shelf.

Its inaugural use was actually for an omelette while I was sick and avoiding sugar, but today they served their true purpose - and what a grand and far easier purpose it was!

Gluten-free Scotch pancakes

Ingredients:

• 240ml potato starch
• 5ml hemp protein powder
• 5ml cocoa powder
• 125ml buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 0.5ml bicarbonate of soda
• 0.5ml creme of tartar
• coconut oil (for the pan/griddle)
• For the variation: coconut flakes and agave syrup
  

Method:

1. Mix the ingredients together very lightly...
really, just enought to get rid of any flour lumps.

2. Oil the non-stick pan lightly and pour the desired
amount of batter into the pan on medium heat.


3. When it bubbles on the top, it is ready for flipping over,
and then it just needs about 30 - 40 seconds depending on the heat.


4. Variation: Once the batter has been poured into the pan,
sprinkle the batter with coconut flakes and drizzle with agave syrup.
Once flipped, watch it carefully else the coconut/agave will burn.


5. Enjoy with the jam/fruit preserve/syrup of your choice.

These aren't the prettiest looking pancakes but they shape well, they're quick to make and they sure do taste nice!