Chickpea pancake with turmeric and squash blossoms
This recipe is an adaptation of Ligurian pancake known as Socca or Farinata. A popular street food in northern Italy, it is traditionally cooked in wood fire ovens, cut into squares and served plain.
However! It is also delicious cooked into thin pancakes then wrapped around toppings of your choosing to make a sort of chickpea crepe sandwich situation.
A few weeks ago, I had them with roasted sweet potatoes, cabbage salad, herbs, raita, and a tomato chutney.
Last night, I studded them with squash blossoms. Served with spicy sautéed zucchini, Greek yogurt, mixed greens and herbs.
If you want to use this recipe to create a more traditional Farinata, use half the batter per pancake (rather than a quarter as directed). Finish it in your oven broiler rather than flipping the whole pancake. When it’s ready, drizzle with olive oil and cut into squares. Serve as an appetizer with lemon wedges and charcuterie etc.
If you don’t have squash blossoms, you could use another herb or flavoring. Chopped thyme or rosemary and/or caramelized onions are all great additions.
Makes 4 pancakes
Recipe
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Black pepper, to taste
4-8 squash blossoms, stems and stamens removed (optional)
Olive oil, for cooking
Combine chickpea flour, salt, turmeric and black pepper in a bowl.
Pour in water and whisk to combine. It should have the consistency of heavy cream. Add a little more water if necessary.
Cover and let the batter sit for at least an hour or up to 12 hours.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in medium nonstick pan (~8 in). When the oil is hot and shimmering, pour a quarter of the oil into the pan. Make sure to evenly distribute to make an even thin pancake.
If using, sprinkle the top with 1 - 2 squash blossoms, torn into smaller pieces.
The pancake is ready to flip when the bottom of the golden and you can see the edges starting to brown. If you flip too early, it will fall apart.
Using a spatula, carefully loosen edges of the pancake then flip. Cook for another minute or so until it’s cooked through. Slide directly onto a serving plate.
Eat with desired fillings.
