1. Preheat an empty skillet over medium heat while you whisk together your chickpea batter.

To prepare the chickpea batter

1. 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

1. 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

1. 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.
2. Remove from the heat, then spoon the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the chopped scallions, thai chilis and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.