Chickpea Pancakes with Spiced Butternut, Chilli & Curry Leaves

Serves 4

1½ cups (200g) chickpea flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp garam masala

750g butternut pumpkin, peeled,

seeded and cut into 3cm pieces

1 tbsp vegetable oil

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 sprigs curry leaves

Coconut yoghurt, to serve

1 long green chilli, thinly sliced into rounds

To make the chickpea pancakes, combine the chickpea flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add 1½ cups (375ml) cold water to form a smooth batter. Set aside for later.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan forced). Place the cumin, coriander and garam masala in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Place the pumpkin on a tray with the vegetable oil and toss with half the spice mix. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden. Toss the chickpeas with the remaining spice mix and add to the tray with the pumpkin after 10 minutes of cooking. Cook with the pumpkin for a further 10 minutes, or until crispy. Set the pumpkin and chickpeas aside, keep warm.

Brush a large, non-stick frying pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Pour a quarter of the pancake mixture into the pan. Swirl to fill the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until cooked though. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, reheating pan and brushing with oil each time. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, add garlic and curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds or until golden and crisp.

Serve pancakes with coconut yoghurt, pumpkin and chickpeas. Top with sliced chilli and crispy garlic curry leaves.