Chickpea Pancakes with Avocado and Dried Chilies

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The first thing I do when I land in the U.S. for home leave is go to the grocery store.

But it’s the last thing I do when I get back to Manila…

I hate to admit that, but it’s true.  After being spoiled all summer with my choice of 105 different organic l0w-sugar cereals, 18 brands and varieties of non-dairy plant milk, any grain or legume I’m brave enough to cook, and a virtual cornucopia of beautiful fruits and veggies, I wait as long as possible upon my return before navigating the much-narrower and lesser-stocked aisles of my local supermarkets.

I need some time and distance between me and Trader Joe’s, know what I’m sayin’?

So when I decided to post my chickpea pancakes with avocado and dried chilies for you, wouldn’t you know it, but I couldn’t find chickpea flour!  Chickpea flour was SO available when I left Alabang in June… what happened to it??

I have a theory called SOMEBODY BOUGHT THE LAST BAG.  We lady ex-pats used to have an honour code that dictated we didn’t buy the last bag or box of anything on the shelf, because the “last one” was the trigger for the staff to reorder that item.  No bag on the shelf, no record it was ever there.  AND NO MORE CHICKPEA FLOUR.  EVER.

OK, so maybe I’m being dramatic, but there is always that niggling wonder if it’s really true.

In any case, I was bound and determined to make the chickpea pancakes, because it’s been on my mind ever since I posted a casual picture of them on Instagram and drew some attention.  And really, they are too good to just keep to myself.  I’m sure chickpea flour will come back into stock soon… meanwhile I just used “chickpea-fava” flour and it worked just fine.  But I certainly wished I had brought back just a wee bit more of everything in my duffle bags…

Assuming we will all be have our usual abundance of chickpea flour in the near future (or already do, if you are anywhere outside Alabang), let’s talk about these little gems: they are my new favourite answer to: what should I have for lunch? and what should I have for a snack? and what should I bring for an appetiser to that party we’re going to on Saturday??

The nutrition profile of these little circles of chickpea perfection is impressive: gluten-free, high in fiber and plant-based protein, and loaded with nutrients such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.  They are also low on the glycemic index, meaning that your blood sugar won’t spike after eating them.  The avocado adds a dose of healthy fats to help keep you satisfied.

But beyond that, they are just downright delicious, and stunningly gorgeous!  You can eat them anytime of day (or night!) and feel good about it.  And truth be told, it is somewhat difficult to stop eating them… so you better get a friend or two to share…

Not counting the seasonings and water (and who counts water anyway?), they contain only 4 main ingredients: chickpea flour, nutritional yeast (to give it that cheesy, savoury delicious-ness), fresh herbs, & avocados.

So here you go, chickpea pancakes with avocado & dried chilies.  Once you find your chickpea flour, you can have these babies done in about 30 minutes start to finish.  Of course, if you’re just making them for yourself & some good friends, and not worried too much about presentation, cut that time down to about 18 minutes…

Start with your dry ingredients…

Add water and whisk… It will be a bit thinner than traditional pancake batter…

Cook in a bit of olive oil, about 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second…

Once the pancakes are cooked, top with mashed avocado, chopped fresh herbs of your choice, and a sprinkle of dried chilies. Voila!  Ready to eat!  Then your only dilemma will be who am I gonna share these with?? Because they are definitely too good to keep all to yourself…

What do you make that is too good to keep to yourself??