When @deirdyweirdy gave us more than a sneak peak into her refrigerator - I was intrigued. It was not only because her refrigerator was so organized but because she had something on her shelves that I wasn’t familiar with. Panelle!! She went on to say that it was "food from heaven". I thought wow - I need to try this. I have never heard of panelle but I was curious so I checked Google and learnt that it's a popular street food in Sicily. I have even walked those streets for 7 unforgettable days but did not eat any panelle. Maybe it’s because I was more focused on icecream or because I did not stay in Palermo.
So what is panelle? The first definition I found was from Wikipedia:
Panella (pl.: panelle) is a Sicilian fritter made with chickpea flour and other ingredients, usually including water, salt, pepper, olive oil, and finely chopped parsley.
This is the extent of the recipe - nothing fancy. I can assure it is a tasty vegan treat that is worth trying.
I do not need to be in Sicily to enjoy italian treats - I stepped into my own kitchen and eagerly whipped up a batch. As It seemed so straightforward - I decided to make it without measuring anything. Although it should be served on a seed (e.g. sesame) bread, I used what I had at home which was spelt bread. It was really delicious nonetheless.
The true test was serving it to my teenagers. At first I heard, “The filling looks suspicious, what’s this?" Thereafter, “Mmm it is actually pretty good!” The panelle sandwich - pane e panelle in italian - passed with flying colours.
Now I’ve decided to use measurements in order to share the recipe with you.
The ingredients
- 250g chickpea (garbanzo) flour
- 1 tablespoon or salt to taste
- 725-750ml water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
- vegetable oil as needed
- lemon wedges for serving (optional)
- parmesan cheese (optional)
The method
- Pour the water into a large pot then add the salt.
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Sift in the chickpea flour, a little at a time and whisk until the mixture has a foamy and smooth texture thus ensuring that there are no lumps.
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Place the pot over medium heat.
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Stir the mixture continuously - as it cooks, it will thicken.
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Lower the fire after the first boil.
- Continue stirring the mixture until it becomes a dense paste but not hard. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.
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Place the mixture onto grease proof paper on a baking tray or a lined loaf pan.
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Level with a spatula and/or cover with an additonal sheet of grease proof paper and use a rolling pin to obtain a flat surface - about 0.5 -1 cm thick.
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Allow the mixture to completely cool and set for about 1 hour. (It can be placed it in the refrigerator )
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Cut the panelle into squares on the baking sheet.
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Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan and fry over medium heat.
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Allow space between the pieces - do not overcrowd the pan.
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Fry the panelle for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
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Drizzle fresh lemon juice on the panelle.
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Serve hot on (Italian) bread with extra parsley if you wish.
Enjoy!
Tips
- The type of bread does not seem to matter too much - however I will try it next time with a seeded italian bread. On my second attempt, I used the brown bread that I had at home and it was still tasty.
Based on your taste buds:
- add extra lemon juice - it enhances the flavor.
- add parmesan cheese - try it with or without then decide if you like it. I did.
- add a pinch of grounded black pepper to the pot when adding the chick pea flour. I tried one version with black pepper - it did not alter the taste.
- Make the recipe your own and enjoy!
Thank you @deirdyweirdy - this is a humble and easy to make recipe which was indeed a treat!
All photos are my own - taken with my iPhone.