Chana Flour & Butternut Pancakes

Serves 4

We are always looking for vegetable devices/apparatuses on which to pile salad and toppings! Here’s a really good one.  You could add avocado or a fried egg, leftover shredded chicken or sausage – but always top with fresh well-dressed leaves.  Phew! A grounding pancake offers up a world of deliciousness!

You could use one of the spice mixes on page X instead of the spices toasted whole spices.

450g butternut or carrot, coarsely grated

½ tsp Fine sea salt for the grated vegetables

¼ tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp coriander seeds

¼ tsp fennel seeds

4 large eggs

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp sugar

½ - ¾ cup fresh coriander, leaves & stems, chopped

2/3 cup chickpea (chana) flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ cup oil for frying (about 2 tbsp oil per pancake)

½ cup of crème fraiche, full cream yoghurt or labneh

3 tbsp Çemen paste + 1 tbsp water to make a dressing or your favourite pesto or relish

½ red onion, very finely sliced

100g wild rocket, watercress or mizuna

Flaky sea salt & black pepper

Place the grated butternut in a colander and sprinkle with the salt.  Mix the salt through the grated butternut, allowing it to draw out water and soften a little. Leave this in the colander for 10 – 15 minutes and then squeeze out as much liquid from the butternut as you can.  There won’t be a huge amount but this step is important for making a crispy pancake.

Dry fry the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a small pan until fragrant.  Then grind these whole spices in a coffee grinder until fine.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them up.  Add the freshly ground spices along with the fine cinnamon, ginger, sugar, grated garlic, and chana flour. Whisk together, then stir in the grated butternut and chopped coriander and mix together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, then add 2-3 tablespoons of the oil to the pan. Fry ½ - 2/3 cup of pancake mixture, spreading it out as you go to about a 1cm thickness. Since I am addicted to crisp edges, I don’t mind my pancakes being a bit “frilly” on the edges, but you can shape yours to perfect discs if that is your proclivity.

Once you have fried all the pancakes, lay each on a plate. Spoon on the crème fraiche and drizzle with the Çemen dressing or pesto of your choosing. Scatter on some red onion and then pile the wild rocket on top. Drizzle with olive oil or a favourite dressing (from this book!).  Sprinkle a little flaky salt and a light grinding of black pepper for the leaves.