Giant Chickpea Pancake

Nothing beats a pancake.

 

N-O-T-H-I-N-G

One of my favorite memories as a kid was on Saturday mornings. I was a pretty early riser on the weekends (8 AM. Oh the college kid in me running on so little sleeps loves this). My mom says I took after my dad. He would probably get up around 6 or 7 AM (although he had an excuse; he had to do hospital rounds.)

I was just a strange kid

As the first one who was awake, my dad would ask me what I would want for breakfast. Eggs, frittatas, waffles, French toast? Nope, nope, nope, and nope. There was only one thing that I would beg for breakfast: his famous buckwheat pancakes. I don’t even think I had Bisquik-mix pancakes until I was 8 or 9. At a friend’s sleepover, I got upset and cried at my friend’s house because her mom was not making “Daddy’s pancakes.”

Future foodie in training people.

Topped with maple syrup and stuffed with blueberries and bananas, these pancakes became a staple of my childhood. However, since coming to college, I need recipes that have very few ingredients. You know, to save money for books. Or let’s be real: Trader Joe’s cookie butter. Please never leave me alone in a room with that stuff. I might not exit alive.

Therefore, a chickpea pancake is the perfect recipe to satisfy my pancake craving without breaking my wallet. Perfect for brunch or even for a dinner, this pancake is HUGE and fills you up in a pinch with relatively few ingredients. Plus, you can basically top it with any veggies of your choice. And who doesn't love that?

Giant Chickpea Pancake

Note: Chickpea (or garbanzo) flour was really difficult to find. After scouring multiple grocery stores around NYC, I eventually found it in a Whole Foods 60 blocks away. Bob’s Red Mill makes a mean chickpea flour.

The act of flipping the pancake is quite fun, especially because it is so large. If you don't want it to spontaneously break in front of you, this recipe also works to make a couple smaller pancakes instead of one large one. Note that these smaller pancakes will cook in around 5-6 minutes.

In terms of topping the pancake, I personally like to use hummus, tomato, cucumber, and roasted asparagus, but honestly, the pancake is a vessel for all the veggie goodness in your fridge. A lot of times I whip up this bad boy to eat any veg I have leftover.

• ½ cup chickpea flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp curry powder
• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup water
• ½ red or yellow bell pepper, diced
• Cooking spray, for the pan
• Toppings (hummus, tomatoes, cucumber, asparagus, etc)

In a bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, baking powder, garlic powder, curry powder, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper until combined. Add water and whisk to combine. The batter should be a little thin and there should be air bubbles throughout. Add the bell pepper and stir just to combine.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, spray with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan. Let the pancake cook until you see holes bubble through, but do not fill in with batter (around 8-10 minutes). Using a spatula, flip the pancake and cook for around 4-5 minutes more until the pancake is completely cooked through. Put on a plate and smother in your favorite toppings.

Vegetables have never looked so good