Festive RecipesFarmacy's Baked Chickpea sticks with tahini dip

These chickpea sticks taste as good as they look and their crispness comes from being baked.

Chickpeas are high in protein as well as fibre, and, like all the dishes in the Farmacy kitchen, they are gluten-free. The sticks are made from chickpea flour, retaining all the nutrients, and they are a great source of plant-based iron. These are fun to eat and great to share– perfect as festive party food or a pre-dinner Christmas snack.

Ingredients (serves 6)

115g (4oz) chickpea flour
500ml (18fl oz) cold water
1 tsp salt
1 chilli
1 tsp Farmacy Seed Mix (see below)
½ tsp lemon zest
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking

To garnish (all optional)
sesame seeds
paprika
chopped herbs
Tahini Sauce (see below)

Method

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the contents to a saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes. You will end up with a consistency similar to clotted cream or thick porridge.

Pour into an oiled baking dish and refrigerate until set. This takes about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F), Gas Mark 4. Remove the mixture from the dish and cut into chip shapes. Place on an oiled baking tray to prevent them sticking and bake until they are golden brown; about 30 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds, paprika and chopped fresh herbs, or dip in Tahini Sauce.

Farmacy Seed Mix (quantity 6 tbsp)

The Farmacy Seed Mix takes food way beyond classic seasoning. It deepens flavours, taking dishes to a new level. This mix pops up in many recipes. Make a batch and keep it in the kitchen to use as needed. This recipe was inspired by chef Peter Gordon. We use it frequently in the Farmacy kitchen.

Ingredients

2 tbsp each cumin, coriander and fennel seeds

Method

Put the seeds in a dry frying pan without oil over a medium heat and cook them until they are fragrant. This takes about 3 minutes. The aim here is not to toast the seeds, but to release the beautiful combination of flavours by warming the seeds together in the pan.

Put the seeds in a food processor and pulse and blend until they have a consistency you like.

Store in an airtight container in a dry, dark place for up to 6 months.

Tahini Sauce

Use this versatile, oil-free sauce however you fancy. It is one of our favourites in the Farmacy kitchen range. It’s rich in protein and minerals, including magnesium, potassium and iron. We use it as a creamy, nutritional hit in many of our dishes and love loading it on to salads or adding it as a topping to fresh vegetables or as a dip.

Ingredients (quantity 550ml – 1 pint)

250ml (9fl oz) tahini
125ml (4fl oz) lemon juice
½ tsp salt
175ml (6fl oz) water

Method

Mix the tahini, lemon juice and salt in a blender and gradually add the water to create the desired consistency.

Keep in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.