Scrambled Chickpea Flour with a Fiery Red Chili Paste

Forgetting to soak some grains and beans the night before, I figured on making some eggs for dinner, but after browsing through my treasured copy of 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer yet again, I decided it was time for a short vegan cleanse after my recent paneer cheese binge. I am addicted to cheese, but honestly didn't miss the diary in this dish.

Iyer's recipe calls for a ginger chili paste, but the Red Chili and Vinegar Paste that I prepared for a Spicy Scalloped Potato recipe from his treasured cookbook, also heavily laden with ginger and chilies, turned out to be an ideal substitute.

Rolled up in some warmed tortillas, this is a most satisfying on the fly vegetarian meal solution.

If you want to incorporate some veggies to the cooked scramble, heat some more oil in the pan, toss in some chopped onions, fry for a bit, add a chopped chili, tomato, and any vegetables of your choosing. Add the chopped chickpea flour scramble to the pan and cook until heated throughout.

I'm sharing this with Mahimaa who is asking for recipes that can be prepared in 15 minutes.

Scrambled Chickpea Flour with a Fiery Red Chili Paste

1 cup of chickpea flour, sifted
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of asafetida
1 tablespoon of red chili and vinegar paste
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, coriander, salt, garam masala, cayenne, and turmeric. Pour in 3/4 cup of water and whisk together. Pour in another 3/4 cup of water and whisk in until you have a smooth, thin batter.

Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Sprinkle in the asafetida, stir and add the red chili and vinegar paste. Stir and fry for a few minutes.

Lower the heat slightly, and pour the chickpea flour batter into the pan. Stir constantly, and cook until the mixture turns into a soft ball - roughly 5 - 8 minutes. Make sure you scrap any bits of dough from the sides and bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to sit for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a cutting board and sprinkle with cilantro. Slice the dough into bits, taking care to incorporate the chopped herb into the dough. The chopped scramble will resemble fluffy scrambled eggs.

Serve wrapped in warmed whole wheat tortillas or with any Indian flatbread.

Yields 4 servings.

More recipes using chickpea flour:
Chickpea Flour Fritters with a Creamy Ricotta, Sun-dried Tomato and Olive Filling
Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Crushed Peas and Cilantro
Chickpea Pumpkin Burgers