Savoury chickpea flour cake recipe

Details

• Cuisine: British
• Recipe Type: Cake
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Serves: 6

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC and grease a small cake tin. Spread the gram flour on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns a little darker and gives off a slightly nutty, toasted aroma.
2. Keep an eye on it, as the flour burns easily. Transfer to a bowl and gradually stir in 350ml water to make a thick batter. Leave to rest.
3. Cook the peas in boiling water until tender. Drain, then mash them roughly and stir in the sugar and the lemon juice. Stir the mint leaves and chilli into the mixture, then leave to cool.
4. Put the cumin, coriander, fennel and black peppercorns in a dry frying pan over a low heat and dry toast, stirring until they turn a little darker and release a toasted aroma.
5. Grind to a powder using a grinder or mortar and pestle. Add the salt and turmeric. Put the garlic and ginger in a blender or wet grinder with 2 tablespoons water and process to make a paste.
6. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and add the onion. Cook gently for a few minutes until soft but not coloured. Stir in the garlic-and-ginger paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring well, then add the spice mixture. Fry for 1 minute, and then stir in the chickpea flour batter. Keep stirring. It will thicken to a custard-like consistency.
7. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes quite sticky. It becomes quite heavy in the last stages and relatively difficult to stir, but keep going, otherwise it will be too soft as it doesn’t thicken any more when it cools. It will take 10–15 minutes to reach the correct thickness.
8. Drop spoonfuls of half the mixture into the oiled tin. Divide the pea and herb mixture over the top of the chickpea mixture, then top with the remainder of the chickpea mixture, pressing it down well. Use a fork to roughen the top.
9. Chop the mint, coriander and green chilli together. Toast the coconut lightly in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, then stir it into the herb mix and press lightly on top of the mixture in the tin. Chill overnight before cutting into wedges.
10. Put each slice onto a lettuce leaf before packing it for carriage in a suitable container. Take with you the cucumber cut into sticks, some cherry tomatoes and a small container of mango chutney to eat with it.