This farinata can be eaten as a main with a delicious salad or served as festive canapes. Slightly alternative to the usual suspects, these are also great for those who are gluten free or vegan. I’m really enjoying beetroot in my veg bag from Coed lately and was fascinated to learn eating beetroot improves blood flow to the frontal lobe of the brain, an area associated with higher level thinking like decision making and memory!
Ingredients (Recipe makes around 6 large pieces of farinata or 25 canapes)
200g chickpea/gram flour
2 cups warm water (1 boiling / 1 cold)
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2 tablespoon olive oil
1½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Pinch black pepper
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1 red onion (finely sliced)
2 beetroot (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon balsamic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of chilli flakes
Method
~Sieve the gram flour into a large mixing bowl and then pour in the warm water. Whisk thoroughly and then cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside to ferment for a minimum of three hours or overnight.
~Fry the onion in the olive oil with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes (add a splash of water if they start to catch).
~Add the beetroot with the tamari, balsamic, cumin, chilli flakes and 3 tablespoons of water and cover and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
~Preheat the oven to 200c.
~Line the bottom of a baking tray with baking paper and a splash of olive oil.
~When the batter is ready, remove any foam that has formed on top of the batter and then stir in the olive oil, salt and black pepper. Sprinkle over the beetroot and the red onion.
~Bake in the oven until it starts to brown on top, approximately 20 minutes.
~Let it cool slightly then cut to serve.
~Serve with a curry dipping mayo, sliced green chilli and dill.
Recipe by Becky @onlylovekitchen