Spicy Besan Omelette

 Greetings,

Here's a perfect brunch recipe to pair with your favourite salad or stir-fried or roasted veggies! The besan or chickpea omelette is one that takes a while to make when doing a whole batch, but the wait is worth it. It is important that the batter cooks through on both sides, so it isn't a recipe that can be rushed.

Ingredients

Besan/chickpea flour: 

for 2 people: 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water

for 3 people: 3/4 cup flour to 1 cup water

for 8-9 omelettes: 1 cup flour to 1 1/4  cup water

So just add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup more water to flour. For a thicker omelette add 1/4 cup.

2 tsp flax meal

1/2 tsp salt (pink or sea salt or black salt for the sulfuric egg taste)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili flakes

1 pinch dried thyme or Italian seasoning

2 pimento peppers or other

1/2 thumb ginger

1 onion

cloves of garlic 

1 stalk celery (optional)

cooking oil

(based on how much omelettes you are making, adjust your onion and such to suit)

Method

1. Mix/whisk flour, water, flax, salt, turmeric, cumin, cumin, chili flakes, thyme/Italian seasoning in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Finely chop the onion, peppers, celery, greens. Finely grate the garlic and garlic.

3. In a frying pan with a dribble of oil, saute the pimento, onion, celery and ginger.  Spread them evenly around the pan, then scoop a 1/4 cup of batter and evenly cover the fried seasonings, making a circle.

NOTE: You are not using all of these fresh seasonings, as you will add a little or a generous amount of each to every omelette you make.

4. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes on a low heat before you flip. the top will seal over and the batter firm up. When you insert the spatula underneath, it should all stay together like a pancake, that's how you know for sure that it can flip. Give it time to brown nicely. After flipping, allow it another 5-10 minutes to brown on the other side.

Do this for each omelette.

I also fry up greens, eggplant, tomato, okra or chickpeas to go with the omelettes if doing brunch, or pair with a salad for breakfast.

Fulljoy!

Sis Ila Addis

Sweet Plantain Eggless Quiche Cups

I love making protein and carb-based patties and muffins to go with meals or to eat on the go or as a snack. The base is always sweet potato and quinoa with a variety of peas and veggies to change up the flavour.

This variety of my specialty has a sweet plantain flavour that goes amazing with dinner.
I call it a quiche because I see it as a substitute for such. It makes a great appetizer for your Ital dinner party.

You will need:

1 ripe but not gooey- soft plantain
1 cup cooked quinoa (1.2 cup uncooked grain)
2 small sweet potatoes
½ sweet pepper
½ onion
2 cloves garlic
Small piece ginger
1 tomato
3 pimento peppers
½ carrot
1 slice pumpkin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp flax meal
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp Italian seasoning
5 tsp any type of flour
Coconut oil



Method:

Cook quinoa and sweet potato and cool.

Using a fine grater, grate carrot, garlic, ginger and pumpkin.

With large hole grater, grate ¼ of plantain and place into same bowl as above ingredients.

Finely chop onion, pimento, tomato and sweet pepper and combine with above ingredients.

Add the salt, turmeric, Italian seasoning, flax meal and flour.

Blend up the rest of the plantain with some coconut oil until it is mushy but not whipped perfectly into a liquid.

Mash the sweet potato and along with quinoa add to the bowl of fresh ingredients.

Mix everything well.

Oil two muffin trays with coconut oil and scoop the mixture into each one, flattening nicely in.

Allow to bake for half hour or until well browned.

Allow to fully cool before removing from trays using a spoon to disengage.

Serve warm.

grated plantain and veggies

 total mixture

Full joy!
And please do tag us @italpeople on Instagram!

Ila