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One of the best ways to get to know a country or a region is undoubtedly through its food. The flavors, colors and traditions that are hidden behind a recipe that tells the story of its place. It is fascinating!
Better than that, just being able to recreate those same flavors that we fall in love with and travel to other places, without leaving home. I love cooking with techniques, spices and ingredients from other cultures, it makes me get out of my comfort zone, discover new combinations and ways of cooking that I would never discover otherwise.
Well, all this just to give you a little introduction to the recipe that I bring today to share with you, the Panelle! “But Alexandra, what are panelle?”
Panelle are small fritters typical of the Sicilian capital, Palermo (Italy). Made from chickpea flour, the story tells us that they were introduced to the region by the Arabs, between the 9th and 11th centuries, who were the first to grind chickpeas to obtain flour, which they then mixed with water getting a kind of polenta. There is no data on who may have been the first person who actually started to shape the panelle and fry them, but no one can deny that they are one of the biggest references of Sicily and of what is traditional street food on the island.
SIMPLE | EASY | CHEAP | DELICIOUS | CRUNCHY | SURPRISING | RICH IN PROTEIN
The Panelle are really an affordable dish that can be made and enjoyed by everyone and that doesn’t need any expensive or rare accessories to make them. In addition, it is a traditionally gluten-free recipe, as it is made from chickpea flour, and with 100% plant-based ingredients.
You will literally only need 4 ingredients, chickpea flour, water, parsley and salt.
For the panelle to be perfect and the recipe even simpler, you must choose a good chickpea flour, which is of good quality and very fine grained. The finer the flour, the easier the whole process becomes. I used Dragon SuperFoods Chickpea Flour, made from 100% organic chickpeas, it is a light and fine flour which makes all the recipes a lot easier.
The recipe itself is as basic as mixing all the ingredients, bringing to a medium/low heat in a pan, stirring constantly until a creamy paste forms. Then, spread this paste on a base, preferably and traditionally in small plates, level it well and let it rest until it cools completely (if it is made the day before, the better). Then it is cut into small squares, and they are taken to fry in very hot oil.
Finish with extra chopped parsley on top and a few drops of lemon, just before serving. They can be eaten as an appetizer or with bread, I confess that this second option was the one I liked the most! Wonderful! Mama Mia!
200gr of Chickpea Flour from Dragon SuperFoods
600gr of water
2 tsp of salt
A handful of chopped parsley
Frying oil
Lemon to serve
200gr of Chickpea Flour from Dragon SuperFoods
600gr of water
2 tsp of salt
A handful of chopped parsley
Frying oil
Lemon to serve
1- Start by sifting the chickpea flour into a bowl.
2- Then add the water and stir vigorously with a whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free liquid.
3- Add salt and parsley and stir.
4- Pour the mixture into a pan and place over medium/low heat, stirring constantly until you get a consistent paste.
5- Divide this paste between plates, leveling and smoothing well. The idea is to make the paste about 3 to 5 millimeters thick. Reserve for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.
6- Cut the paste into 5cm by 5cm squares (more or less, you don’t need to be super precise) and fry it in a frying pan or deep fryer with hot enough oil to keep the pans submerged. Carefully turn each panelle so they can golden on both sides. Remove from the oil and place on kitchen paper, so that any excess oil is removed and the crunchiness is maintained.
7- Serve plain with a few drops of lemon as an appetizer, or eat with bread and serve as a meal.
1- Start by sifting the chickpea flour into a bowl.
2- Then add the water and stir vigorously with a whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free liquid.
3- Add salt and parsley and stir.
4- Pour the mixture into a pan and place over medium/low heat, stirring constantly until you get a consistent paste.
5- Divide this paste between plates, leveling and smoothing well. The idea is to make the paste about 3 to 5 millimeters thick. Reserve for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.
6- Cut the paste into 5cm by 5cm squares (more or less, you don’t need to be super precise) and fry it in a frying pan or deep fryer with hot enough oil to keep the pans submerged. Carefully turn each panelle so they can golden on both sides. Remove from the oil and place on kitchen paper, so that any excess oil is removed and the crunchiness is maintained.
7- Serve plain with a few drops of lemon as an appetizer, or eat with bread and serve as a meal.
*This recipe was supported by Pronatural.com.pt
*You can find Dragon SuperFoods Chickpea Flour at Pronatural’s online store with a 10% discount when using the code TAVG.
*You can freeze the panelle before frying.
*If you like to spice up your dishes a little, you can add a pinch of black pepper to this recipe.
*This recipe was supported by Pronatural.com.pt
*You can find Dragon SuperFoods Chickpea Flour at Pronatural’s online store with a 10% discount when using the code TAVG.
*You can freeze the panelle before frying.
*If you like to spice up your dishes a little, you can add a pinch of black pepper to this recipe.
PANELLE- SICILIAN FRIED CHICKPEA FRITTERS
THE “PANELLE”, A TYPICAL SICILIAIN FRIED FOOD
PANELLE- SICILIAN FRIED CHICKPEA FRITTERS
THE “PANELLE”, A TYPICAL SICILIAIN FRIED FOOD
Tag @things_about_a_vegan_girl on instagram and hashtag it #thingsaboutavegangirl so we can see all the masterpiece you made!!!
Tag @things_about_a_vegan_girl on instagram and hashtag it #thingsaboutavegangirl so we can see all the masterpiece you made!!!