INDIAN & SRI LANKAN
CURRIED CHICKPEA PANCAKES
We absolutely adore chickpeas and wanted to celebrate them and their wonderful versatility. The chickpea-flour pancakes are inspired largely by the South Indian breakfast staple Dosa, whilst the usual spiced potato filling is replaced by a North Indian Chana Saag – a wonderfully rich chickpea and spinach curry. We’ve laced the pancakes with nigella seeds in a nod to the classic naan and finished it all with green chutney for freshness and heat and mint yoghurt for luxury. The perfect pancake for breakfast, lunch or supper.
Ingredients
THE DHAL
400g Chickpeas
2 Large Handfuls of Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
1 Small Onion, finely diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Red Chillies, finely diced
1 Thumb-Sized Piece of Ginger, finely diced
5 Medium Tomatoes, diced
200ml Coconut Milk
10 Curry Leaves
1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Ground Coriander
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Chilli Powder
1tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Small Bunch of Coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of Half a Lemon
Generous Pinch of Salt and Pepper
THE CHICKPEA PANCAKES
1 Cup Chickpea/Gram Flour, sieved
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Large Egg
1 tsp. Turmeric Powder
2 tsp. Nigella Seeds
Generous Pinch of Salt
Generous Pinch of Salt and Pepper
THE GREEN CHUTNEY
100g Bunch of Coriander, roughly chopped
4 Green Chillies, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp Sugar
Pinch of salt
THE MINT YOGHURT
150g Natural Yoghurt
1 Small Bunch of mint, finely chopped
METHOD
THE GREEN CHUTNEY
1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
THE YOGHURT
1. Combine the yoghurt and mint and mix together.
THE CHICKPEA PANCAKES
1. Combine 1 Cup of Chickpea Flour, 1 Cup Coconut Milk (conveniently about half a tin), the egg and whisk together until completely smooth. Add the turmeric, nigella seeds and salt and mix together again. Finally, you will almost certainly want to add a splash of water to the mixture to loosen slightly. You want the batter to be the same consistency as double cream. Once the appropriate consistency is achieved, place the batter in the fridge whilst you make your filling.
2. To cook your pancakes, place a large, wide frying pan over a high heat and add a little coconut oil to the pan, brush around the pan with a piece of kitchen roll once melted. You only want a film of coconut oil over the pan. Add a ladle or two of batter to the pan and tilt the pan around until spread out around the pan and return to the heat immediately. Cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and just starting to crisp before carefully flipping over and cooking for a further 1-2 minutes and golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm whilst repeating until all the batter is used. You should have 6 Pancakes.
THE CHANA SAAG
1. Place a large pan over a medium heat with 2 tsp of coconut oil. Once hot, add the Cumin and Mustard Seeds to the pan and cook for a minute or until they just start to spit. Add in the onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and curry leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions are just starting to colour. Next, add in the ground spices and cook off for a further 1-2 minutes. Finally, add the chickpeas, tomatoes and remaining coconut milk and mix together and leave to cook.
2. Add the cooked aubergine and the coconut milk to the pan, mix together and then leave to cook for 20-30 minutes or until the coconut milk has been almost entirely reduced and the chickpeas are tender. Add the spinach and then mix together, reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice, coriander and season to taste. Keep warm whilst you cook the pancakes.
THE ASSEMBLY
To assemble your pancake place a large spoonful of the chickpeas into the centre or each pancake and squash a little, followed by a spoonful of the yoghurt and green chutney and roll up. Serve immediately.
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