Farinata (Herbed Chickpea Flour and Onion Pancake) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is farinata in Italy? ›

Farinata is an iconic Italian street food with crispy edges and a custardy center. This savory chickpea pancake is made without wheat so it's a great gluten-free appetizer, snack, or side dish. Whether you avoid gluten or eat it like candy this Italian speciality is sure to please.

A farinata is made from a few simple ingredients: chickpea flour, water, salt and olive oil. Farinata means “made of flour” in standard Italian. A batter is formed from the ingredients and with it one creates 4mm thick pancakes.

Chickpea flour, also known as gram, besan, or garbanzo bean flour, has been a staple in Indian cooking for centuries. Chickpeas are versatile legumes with a mild, nutty taste, and chickpea flour is typically made from a variety called Bengal grams.

Chickpea flour takes longer to hydrate than wheat flour does, so giving the batter time to soak is crucial for making a moist, cohesive flatbread. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours before you cook it.

In general, farinata is best served hot when its edges are still nice and crisp but it can be stored in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat slowly in a non stick pan with a bit of olive oil to make it crispy again (picture below).

Chickpea flour is used throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa to make sweet and savory flatbreads, thicken soups and stews, and add richness to dumplings and cakes. It is the main ingredient in shiro wat, a hearty, spicy Ethiopian stew laced with tomatoes and onions.

Farinata, along with Cavalcante, is in the circle of the Heretics, partly because both he and Cavalcante were Epicureans. According to Dante's society, a heretic was a person who chose his or her own opinion rather than following the judgment of the papacy; Cavalcante and Farinata followed the Epicurean philosophy.

Chickpea flour is more versatile than you might think. It can be used, in part, in decadent baked goods like banana bread and cupcakes, or in classic breakfast dishes such as pancakes and crepes. It's also the perfect substitute for white flour in savory staples like meatballs, pizza dough, and dumplings.

Furthermore, numerous studies have demonstrated that pulse crops, including chickpeas, aid in blood sugar regulation [27,28,29]. These research findings imply that incorporating pulse crops, including chickpeas, into diabetes management diets can improve the health status of diabetic patients.

Can you eat uncooked chickpea flour? ›

Chickpea flour or Garbanzo flour is ok for raw baking though it has a bitter taste. Corn flour is safe raw but doesn't have a particularly pleasant taste and texture. Quinoa flour made from raw, sprouted, and soaked grains is safe to eat but not commonly used. Oat flour is another safe-to-eat-raw flour.

Remember to toast the chickpea flour in a dry skillet or oven beforehand to eliminate any bitterness in the final dish.

Like other types of flours, chickpea flour and besan should be stored in a sealed container to keep out moisture in a cool place. It stays fresh for upto 6 months, and longer if refrigerated.

It is important to make sure the chickpea flour or gram is always well cooked before eating (both to get rid of the astringent aftertaste and to stop it giving you tummy ache - remember all legumes/pulses need to be well cooked!) and this also removes any bitter taste and gives you a nuttier flavour.

Grano tenero is generally what we think of as white flour, and is more broadly used in bread, pizza, and pastry, and northern pasta doughs.

Fainè, also called farinata, is nothing more than a simple garbanzo bean flour batter which is spiked with olive oil and salt and baked in a very hot oven. The surface gets crusty and the edges get crispy yet the inside stays moist and sort of creamy.

Farinata: Farinata is primarily made from chickpea flour, water, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and sometimes rosemary. Panelle: Panelle, on the other hand, is made from chickpea flour, water, and salt. It typically does not include olive oil in the mixture.

Farinata degli Uberti (died Nov. 11, 1264) was a Florentine nobleman who became the leader of the Florentine Ghibellines, the proimperial party. According to Dante (Inferno, canto X), Uberti alone dissuaded the members of the Ghibelline coalition from razing the city of Florence, which they had just captured.