I love panisse. I love sauce spiked with garlic and ginger. So when I put these two things together, I was thrilled that holycowthisisdelicious happened, which is infinitely better than grosswhydidIjustdothat, which sometimes happens when pairing two seemingly disparate components like this on one plate.
Panisse is just chickpea flour and water that’s been combined into a slurry, heated and whisked over high heat, then cooled until firm. The panisse can then be cut into thin shapes and deep fried, pan fried or baked. I always have a hunk of it in my refrigerator, and eat it for breakfast throughout the week because it’s delicious, cheap and easy, and it’s polenta-like quality allows it to be nicely paired with an endless array of other components and sauces (think garlic aioli, malt vinegar, pesto or tomato sauce).
Although panisse is perfect for breakfast, this preparation is better suited for a light dinner and goes well with rice or noodles and/or broccoli or other greens on the side. The secret to tasty panisse is to cut it so it’s 1/2 inch thick or less—this allows the fluffy mashed potato-like filling to mingle harmoniously with the golden outside, creating the perfect airy and crispy bite.
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PANISSE WITH GARLIC-GINGER SAUCE
- Total Time: 1 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
for the chickpea batter
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 TB olive oil
- for the sauce
- 1 TB dark sesame oil
- 2-inch piece ginger (about the size of your thumb), minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup mirin or broth
- 1 TB soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 TB cold water
- 1 TB raw agave syrup
to serve
- chopped scallions, thai chilis and sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat an empty skillet over medium heat while you whisk together your chickpea batter.
To prepare the chickpea batter
- Whisk all of the batter ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Pour the batter into the preheated skillet. Immediately stir the batter with the whisk until thickened, (about 5 minutes), then switch to using a heat-resistant rubber spatula to stir continuously for a few minutes more. Once it starts pulling away cleanly from the pan stir for an additional 1-2 minutes more, then transfer the batter to a greased glass container. Let it slightly cool, then cover it with plastic wrap so it touches the top to create a seal, then place it in the refrigerator to cool for about an hour or so until firm, or up to overnight.
To make the sauce
- Heat the sesame oil in a small saute pan over low heat. Add in the ginger and garlic and allow to soften for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add in the mirin or broth, then increase the heat to medium. Add in the soy sauce and allow to come to a small simmer. Add in the cornstarch/water mixture, then stir until thickened. Add in the agave and stir to combine. Turn off the heat but leave it on the burner to keep it warm while you pan fry the panisse.
To pan fry the panisse
- Cut the cooled block in half, then slice each half into 1/2-inch thick pieces. It’s important that the slices are no thicker than that. Preheat an empty skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then place 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, then carefully add in the panisse slices. Saute each side for about 5 minutes, or until golden but not browned.
- Remove from the heat, then spoon the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the chopped scallions, thai chilis and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can also bake panisse instead of pan frying it. To bake the panisse, lightly oil a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Flip the pieces over, then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
This is my last VeganMoFo post for 2013! It’s been an incredible challenge to bang out 12 posts for this month, which is one more than I did last year, but still considerably less than the 20-post suggestion. However, it’s been great to work throughout the month to create new content at a maniacal speed but, more than anything, to read all of the other amazing content created by the ever-expanding base of other Vegan MoFoers. I’ve discovered so many new blogs and ideas throughout the month, which makes me love the vegan blogging community even more, and so proud to be a part of it!
