There are a handful of restaurants and cafes in Tel Aviv that I love. One of them is Cafe Anastasia. Everything there is vegan, refined sugar-free, and mostly gluten-free. I go occasionally for their vegan cheese plate or Israeli breakfast — chopped salad, an assortment of cheeses, tapenade, tahini, bread, and “eggs.” Their “chickpea omelet” is made with chickpea flour and herbs and it’s delicious. Think Kuku, the Persian green herb frittata, and Socca, the French chickpea flatbread, had a baby together.
One of the dips that comes with the breakfast is labane, made from cashews — and it tastes remarkably like the real thing. Their gluten-free sourdough is as good as mine. Maybe better.
Even though I’m a regular, I never ask for recipes. It feels presumptuous somehow. I’ll sometimes ask what’s in a dish, then go home and recreate my own version. Though perhaps the real reason I don’t ask is that I enjoy the challenge more.
Easy Vegan Chickpea Omelet
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Whisk or fork (for the batter)
- Non-stick skillet
- Spatula (for flipping)
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- Pinch of baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black or white pepper
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion - sliced thinly
- A handful in total: cilantro, parsley and dill, or only one of them, finely chopped
Instructions
- Make the chickpea batter first and let it sit for minimum 15 minutes. Mix the chickpea flour with the spices and salt then add the water gradually until you get a smooth batter. Add the olive oil and stir.
- Put the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent. Add the herbs and mix. Pour half of the batter in and rotate the skillet to spread the batter on. Wait until it bubbles and firms up along the edges, approx. 2 minutes then gently flip it over. Lower the heat and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
- Fold it in half and serve.
