The Baking Biker Chic

The chickpea is or should be your best friend as a herbivore. Packed full of protein and low in fat there are literally hundreds of different ways of using them and they’re gluten free too so works for everyone. This recipe uses chickpeas in two similar ways but gives very different results. I’d encourage you to experiment with the ingredients to find something that works for you as these suit my taste buds. And of course you can fill the pancakes with anything you want – just remember though they are filling in themselves for opt for a light filling:

Pancakes

To make a chickpea pancake you need equal parts of water to chickpea flour (gram flour). The quantities below give you enough for two reasonable sized pancakes:

1/2 cup of gram flour

1/2 cup of water

3 finely chopped spring onions (optional)

Sprinkling of dried chillies (to taste and optional)

1/4 tsp onion granules

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

Pepper sauce

1/2 cup of water

1 heaped tbspn gram flour

1 -2 tsp ground black pepper (more equals a stronger flavour)

1 tsp vecon (concentrated vegetable stock)

Dash of onion powder

Dash of garlic powder

Vegetable filling

Choose a selection of your favourite veg. I tend to use frozen veg these days because it means I’ve always got something to eat but if I’m away for work nothing goes off.  The veg I use for this is: spinach, sweet potato, mushrooms, mixed peppers, soya beans and broccoli.

To make your savoury pancakes

Start off by steaming your veg – keep it warm while you make the pancakes – I do this then place the whole lot in a frying pan and dry fry it, adding a little water to prevent it from sticking

To make your pancakes, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or jug, heat your skillet or pan and spray lightly with an oil (I use Fry Light). Once the skillet/pan is up to temperature pour half in a circular motion and let the underside develop (takes a few minutes at least each side). It should like the image below before you attempt to flip it over – never rush these things.

While your pancakes are cooking and your veg staying warm, in a saucepan mix together the ingredients for your pepper sauce and place on a very low heat once you start making the second pancake. Whisk continuously to ensure your sauce develops a lovely sheen and is smooth. It only takes minutes to make so don’t be tempted to turn the heat up.

Now you’re ready to start layering the pancakes. Put a pancake on a warmed plate and divide half the vegetable mix and place on top of the pancake. If you are hungry, put the second pancake on top of the veg, topping with the remainder of the veg and pour the rest of the sauce over the whole lot. Of course you can opt for sharing in which case you’ll need two warmed plates.