Chickpea Flatbread

The chickpea stars in this quick, healthy, and easy standby. The chickpea, or garbanzo bean, has a nutty, rich flavor, reminiscent of hummus (go figure!) When we tested this recipe, from the fantastic The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center Cookbook, we quickly began to dream up fresh uses and toppings for it. It’s really quite versatile, welcoming toppings like chutney and curried vegetables, baba ganoush, peperonata, or any number of seasonal pestos, krauts, dips, or spreads. The crispy edges are magic. The color is warm and golden. It’s gluten-free, but you’re not missing anything.

Makes 2-3 flatbreads, depending on pan size.

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, sift 1 cup of the the garbanzo flour.
Whisk in the water, salt, oil, and pepper together to form a thin, clump-free batter.
Garbanzo flour can vary, so start with 1 cup of sifted flour and add a little more, up to 1 1/2 cups total, until you get the consistency of heavy cream. Cover with a towel and let sit 30 minutes to an hour. It will thicken a little more as it sits.

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil into a cast iron pan, and place the pan in the oven to heat for 10 minutes.

Preheating the pan and the oil make the pancake wonderfully crispy around the edges.

Remove the hot, oiled pan from the oven and pour in some of the batter. A really thin, crepe-like layer of batter makes a flatbread with a lacy, crispy, more delicate edge. A layer about 1/4” thick makes for a more foldable, scoopable pancake.

Sprinkle with optional spices.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and crispy.

Let cool slightly, cut into wedges, and serve.

 

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.