Gluten Free Savoury Pancake Recipe - with chickpea flour

The lightness and delicate nature of these gluten free savoury pancakes won't leave you feeling bloated as they nourish your body inside out - the perfect light meal or substantial snack.

We all know how important it is to live in balance - mixing up your staples and feeding your body with a variety of ingredients is paramount. Although wheat is a common staple in the western world, it doesn't have to be used as the main grain in every meal (think cereal, bread, crackers, biscuits, pasta) - we tend to be brain washed into thinking that wheat is our only choice. This gluten free savoury pancke recipe allows you to explore using wheat free flour, even if you don't require gluten free dishes for gut sensitivity issues. Chickpea flour crepes are derived from the glorious socca recipe. Socca is made from chickpea flour, oil and water and is a common street food eaten in the south of France. It is baked in either an oven or over a wood fire to create a yummy thick pancake. I have a taken the traditional recipe and made it into an easy-to-cook and eat thin batter. This savoury pancake recipe can be prepared ahead of time and filled and wrapped with lots of fresh goodies.

BEAUTY BOOST

Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein! Protein is vital for both the growth and maintenance of cells within your body. That means it is key to giving you a glowing appearance by replacing dead skin cells with new fresh, strong ones as well as maintaining healthy hair and nail growth. Chickpeas also contain molybdemum which assists to cleanse the liver and detoxify the skin. This allows your complexion to radiate (even more!) from the inside out! Turmeric is our go-to spice to beat inflammation! It works to reduce redness and puffiness while maintaining an even skin tone for a bright complexion. Turmeric even helps to preserve strong, lush hair by protecting your follicles from damage.

GLUTEN FREE SAVOURY PANCAKE RECIPE

30 mins wo to go. Serves 4 (makes 10 thin pancakes)

YOU'LL NEED

1 1/4 cup besan (chickpea) flour (store bought at your local supermarket – sometimes called garbanzo) 1 cup water 1 cup milk of choice (try our walnut milk) good pinch salt + pepper if desired 2 eggs 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon oregano 1 tablespoon lemon juice

HOW TO

1. Mix Flour, salt, turmeric and oregano together in a large bowl, creating a well in the center. 2. Add water, milk, eggs, oil and lemon juice , whisk until combined and smooth. Mixture should be runny but well beaten.

COOKING YOUR PANCAKES

It's important to note, these are crepe-style pancakes not thick 'brunch' ones hence the batter is runny and producing deliciously delicate pancakes. We recommend using a typical 'light weight' pancake frypan or crepe pan to give a finished pancake size of about 170mm. The pan needs to be light enough to swirl the batter to the edges and to shape and 'flip' the pancake rather using a large pan. 3. Heat fry pan over medium heat. Once hot add drizzle or 'brushing' of olive oil to the pan. Pour in a ladles worth (around ¼ cup 6oml of batter) and quickly swirl the pan around to spread the batter out to the edges. 4. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and flip your chickpea flour pancake - you'll see bubbles form, cooking for a further 1 to 2 minutes. 5. Serve warm or room temperature with desired toppings!

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Mix and match different herbs to change up the flavour of the savoury pancake recipe. Add in some crushed garlic and fresh oregano, or try rosemary or fresh parsley or even smokey paprika. Cumin and or coriander are my favourite aromatic spices that work well with besan too.
• Top or fill. eg tomato salsa with a crumble of goats cheese, some tuna and avocado with a fresh lemon zest or sour cream and fresh rocket.

MAKING YOUR OWN CHICKPEA FLOUR

1. Pour 250g of dried chickpeas into a Vitamix or food processor and process for 3 minutes, or until powdery. 2. Sift the mixture to filter out the large pieces, blending them again. You can also use a coffee or spice grinder to grind the left over large pieces into a beautiful powder. 3. Once ground several times, sift the flour mixture to remove any small granule type pieces. These will not blend easily and can be thrown out. 4. When using in the batter, only 1 cup is needed as it is slightly thicker than besan flour. Experiment - if the batter is too thin it will go lacy and break so add more or if too thick the batter won't spread by itself in the pan so add more liquid. 5. Store left overs in an air tight container and save for the next time you make this gluten free savoury pancake recipe!