Savory Herb And Chickpea Pancakes Recipe

While pancakes are often thought of as being sweet, latkes and potato pancakes are both savory, as is soca, the Italian/French dish that may be the world's first gluten-free pancake. These chickpea pancakes from developer Deniz Vergara are somewhat similar to the latter in that they're also made with chickpea flour, but Vergara likes to add "salty chunks of feta that melt in your mouth" as well as cilantro and scallions for brightness. As a pancake topper, she makes a dressing out of yogurt flavored with garlic, lemon juice, and more cilantro.

This particular recipe is excellent for anyone trying to boost the protein content in their diet since the pancakes themselves are pretty protein-rich — Vergara estimates that each one contains about 6 grams of the stuff. Not only that, but the garlicky dressing is made with Greek yogurt, which is also high in protein. The amount used here, if divided by 6, will yield about an additional 2 grams of protein for each pancake you eat.

The pancakes themselves are made with chickpea flour, salt, pepper, cilantro, scallions, feta cheese, olive oil, and ghee. For the sauce, you'll also need garlic, lemon juice, and plain yogurt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, salt, pepper, water, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fold in the cilantro, scallions, and feta, then let the batter sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.

While the batter is sitting, make the green garlic sauce: In a small bowl, mix all of the sauce ingredients until combined.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add about 1 teaspoon ghee and swirl it around so that it coats the whole pan.

Use a ladle to pour about ¼ cup batter into the hot pan. (Optional: You can also use a spatula to lightly spread the batter and form a circle.)

Cook until the bottoms are lightly browned and bubbles form on top, about 2–3 minutes. Using a thin spatula, carefully flip  the pancakes over and cook until browned and cooked through. Repeat until you have used all the batter, adding more oil to the pan for each batch.

To serve, place a pancake on a plate and top with the green garlic sauce and additional chopped herbs.

Chickpea flour, as the name implies, is a type of flour made from ground chickpeas. It's frequently used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and is available for purchase in a ready-made form, but you can also make your own by pulverizing dry chickpeas using a coffee grinder. If you're going the DIY route, you might also want to bake the beans for a few minutes first as this reduces the bitterness that the flour might otherwise have.

Chickpea flour can be used as a gluten-free substitute for wheat flour in certain types of baked goods. It does have a somewhat chickpea-like taste to it, which is something to take into account if you're thinking of using it in a cookie recipe. It also does not lend itself well to delicate cakes or pastries that need to rise, but it's fine for sturdier, spongier muffins, fritters, and pancakes like the ones in this recipe. Not only are baked goods made with chickpea flour gluten-free and packed with protein, but they're also high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals.

If you wish, you can use the recipe as a template rather than a blueprint, changing up the ingredients as you see fit. While Vergara's chickpea pancakes have a Greek-inspired flavor courtesy of the feta cheese and lemon juice, you could go all-in on a Mediterranean theme by swapping the cilantro for oregano. Or, pivot to more of an Italian profile by replacing the feta with Parmesan cheese. In the latter instance, you might want to use marinara as a topping instead of sticking with a yogurt-based sauce. You could also make South Asian–style pancakes flavored with garam masala and paneer and pair them with a cilantro or tamarind chutney dip.

On a more functional level, you can replace the ghee with butter or cooking oil if it's not something you tend to have on hand. You may also use a different style of plain yogurt or even sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt, although in this case, your sauce won't have quite so much protein.