A Plant Based Guest Recipe from Anna Jones: Green Chickpea Pancakes

A Message From Anna:

This chickpea pancake recipe is one of my favorites. I eat them straight out of the pan like traditional pancakes topped with a fried egg, some flash-fried vegetables and cheese. Or I keep them in the fridge, then heat them up gently in a pan to use like wraps or instead of chapatis for dipping into curries. I’ve included some topping ideas, and variations on the spinach to make it a more seasonal dish below.

Anna's Green Chickpea Pancakes.

PLEASE NOTE THE RECIPE SERVES 4 (MAKES 8 PANCAKES).

Ingredients:

250g chickpea flour

350ml oat milk

50g spinach, washed

A small bunch of parsley

The zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

Coconut oil or olive oil for frying

*SWAP THE SPINACH FOR:

1 medium beetroot, peeled and grated (add 1 teaspoon fennel seeds)

A medium carrot, grated (add 1 teaspoon cumin or caraway seeds)

Method:

Put all the ingredients, except the oil, into a blender and season well with salt and pepper. Blend on high until the mixture is a thin smooth pancake batter. You can add a splash more milk if your batter feels too thick.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a roughly 24cm non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a small ladle of the batter to the pan. Working quickly, swirl the pan around so the batter covers the base, and cook for a couple of minutes, then flip over and cook on the other side for another 30 seconds.

Repeat for the rest of the batter, adding a little more of the oil each time. Stack on a plate with a layer of baking paper in between each one and keep warm in a low oven. Top with your favourite sweet or savoury combinations; there are lots of suggestions below.

These chickpea pancakes can be made ahead of time and stored covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen, separated by sheets of baking paper, for up to 2 months; allow to defrost for 30 minutes at room temperature before using.

Pancake-topping ideas:

Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, basil, Parmesan

Peas, mint, lemon, date salad or vegan-style ricotta

Roast tomatoes, whipped ricotta, wilted spinach, toasted almonds

Grated carrots sautéed with cumin seeds, coriander, yoghurt, mango chutney

Roasted squash, dukkah spice, feta

Thick Greek yoghurt or plant yoghurt, chopped pistachios, toasted sesame seeds, fennel seeds, honey