This Healthy Panelle Recipe is a variation of the iconic traditional street food also referred to as Sicilian chickpea fries. They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Naturally gluten-free and vegan, this flavorful, and healthy finger food makes the perfect appetizer.
Have you ever heard of Sicilian chickpea fritters?
According to Wikipedia, they are “made from chickpea flour and other ingredients. They are popular street food in Palermo and are often eaten between slices of bread or on a roll, like a sandwich”.
What is not mentioned is that they are deep-fried.
As a dietitian with an Italian upbringing, there are only a handful of family recipes that I exempt from my no-fry rule.
One of them is Calzoni di Ceci (Chocolate Chick Pea Calzoni); another one is this recipe for these Christmas Eve donuts or as my nonna would call them, screppelle.
Since I have no emotional attachment to panelle, I decided to eliminate the deep frying.
Baked panelle or pan-frying them became my options.
The results were a hit with family and friends.
Let me walk you through the process of making them.
How to make panelle
Let’s begin by greasing or lining an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
In a medium pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
How to make panelle
Let’s begin by greasing or lining an 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside for now.
In a medium pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt to 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
In the meantime, whisk together ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, and 1 cup of chickpea flour. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and combine it with the dry ingredients.
Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Slowly add the chickpea mixture into the water, and whisk continually, scraping the bottom and sides, for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Don’t walk away from the mixture, even for a minute – just whisk!
Aim for the consistency of polenta. Try your best to minimize the clumps as you whisk.
Once you have whisked everything together, quickly pour the resulting mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Place the pan in the fridge until it sets, a minimum of 30 minutes. When the mixture has set, you are ready to start pan-frying or baking!
Cut the now-set chickpea mixture into rectangles roughly 1 inch wide. You can also cut them one half inch wide for them to resemble thin home fries.
To Pan-Fry: Heat one and a half tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat (If you recall, we used this same method to make these delicious Italian Potato Croquettes). Pan fry half the sticks, rotating them regularly so that all sides brown evenly. When all sides have taken on some color, you are done! Remove them from heat, set them aside, and repeat with the remaining sticks.
To Bake: Coat the sticks with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and place a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degrees oven, for about 30-45 minutes, until crispy, turning them at the halfway mark.
That’s it!
Only about 20 minutes of active time and you have the perfect little appetizer, ready to be eaten.
Tips
- Pour and spread the chickpea batter quickly in a greased pan as it sets very quickly.
- A greased rubber spatula helps facilitate the spreading of the batter in the pan.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
- There is an inactive time of 30 minutes while the mixture firms up in the refrigerator.
What makes this healthy panelle recipe so awesome?
1 – A wonderful finger food! If you like serving great appetizers, these chickpea flour sticks certainly fit the bill! Serve them with this garlic yogurt sauce and watch these little treats disappear right before your eyes.
2 – The ingredients! You only need six ingredients to make these delicious little sticks, five of which I’m sure you already have on hand: salt, pepper, red chili flakes, garlic, and olive oil. The sixth ingredient is chickpea flour, naturally gluten-free, which you can find in the health or gluten-free sections of your grocery store.
3 – The flexibility in taste! Add more (or less) red chili flakes to suit your needs.
4 – The flavor! You would think that a recipe with so few ingredients would probably be on the “simple” side of the taste spectrum. But these pack a surprising punch! These appetizers have a complex, savory flavor that will take you completely by surprise the first time you taste them.
5 – The assembly! There is really nothing to it! One of the simplest recipes you will ever make.
6 – Appropriateness for guests with different dietary restrictions! As they are vegan and gluten-free, it makes the perfect party food when entertaining family and friends.
7 – The healthiness! Chickpea flour is a good source of protein, iron, and dietary fiber. Eliminating the frying makes these sticks stay as light and healthy as can be.
As you can see, this healthy panelle recipe is perfect in so many ways and are so easy to assemble as well.
More appetizer recipes
If you enjoy easy Italian appetizers, make sure to check out my mom’s recipe for polenta pizza, it really is such a great alternative to bread. Top it off with just a few herbs or if you like roasted peppers or eggplant caponata.
Recipe inspiration
My daughter loves to travel.
A few years ago, upon returning from a Vancouver trip, she mentioned making chickpea fries in the hostel where she was staying.
Upon describing the ingredients, and how to make them, I just knew I had to try it out!
While researching these ingredients, it turns out that these fritters, a popular finger-food from the south of France, are called Panisse. My daughter informed me that the young woman who showed her how to make these was originally from Nice.
I also discovered that a variation, called panelle, is a street food specialty in Palermo, Sicily.
The preferred method for both of these traditional recipes is deep frying.
Long story short… since I have no emotional ties to this recipe, there was no way I was going to fry them!
When experimenting in the kitchen with my daughter, we tried pan-frying and baking them. It made for a fun and relaxing morning, and at the end of it all, both variations tasted just fabulous, without any deep frying.
These chickpea sticks are a recent discovery for me, and an automatic hit with the family!
An easy-to-make, spicy, gluten-free and vegan appetizer made with simple ingredients.
They also make for a great snack.
I hope you get a chance to try them.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made these chickpea flour fritters, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Chickpea Fries: A Healthy Panelle Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes or to taste
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil separated
Instructions
- Grease or line with parchment paper an 8 x 8 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium pot, add salt to the water and bring to a boil.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the spices and garlic to the chickpea flour and whisk together until no lumps are visible.
- Once the water is boiling, reduce to the lowest setting and slowly add the chickpea flour.
- Whisk CONTINUOUSLY for about 5 minutes. The mixture will become thick.
- Pour the chickpea mixture in the greased or paper-lined baking dish and spread evenly.
- Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- With a very sharp knife, cut in quarters. Then, cut lengthwise at 1-inch interval to obtain 16 sticks.
- To Pan-Fry: Heat one and a half tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Pan fry half the sticks, rotating them regularly so that all sides brown evenly. Remove them from heat, set them aside, and repeat with the remaining sticks.
- To Bake: Coat the sticks with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and place a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degrees oven, for about 30-45 minutes, turning them at the halfway mark.
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve with favorite dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Pour and spread the chickpea batter quickly in a greased pan as it sets very quickly.
- A greased rubber spatula helps facilitate the spreading of the batter in the pan.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
- There is an inactive time of 30 minutes while the mixture firms up in the refrigerator.
- 1 serving=1 chickpea stick
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 2, 2018, and republished on April 16, 2020 with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!
Rich
For a Sicilian who loves the classic oily/ lemony panelli sandwich I wasn’t sure I’d care for these but I gave them a try. I was pleasantly surprised and intend to keep playing with different ingredients and dips. Also an excellent addition to my menus for my vegan daughter. Adding diced fresh herbs and savories made the combinations unlimited. Finely diced black olives or sun dried tomatoes in the mix came were a favorite.
Maria
Thanks Rich! These truly make a great vegan appetizer!
Heidi
Thank you so much! What a fantastic and easy recipe. I was lucky enough to use my air-fryer. It was awesome. I am looking forward to making this for my GF friend.
Maria
My pleasure Heidi! So happy to hear you enjoyed this panelle recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Margaret
Hi Maria:
I’ve made these twice so far and they are absolutely delicious. They are now a family favorite. I omitted the red pepper only because I can’t have the spice. I added a little more fresh garlic and a sprinkle of sea salt on top before baking. Better than french fries with no sacrifice of flavor and with the benefits of protein, fiber and potassium. I made the chicken spiedini to go with along with a simple green leaf salad. Perfect meal. You’re the best!
Maria
What a wonderful comment! Thanks so much, Margaret. You are right, these are so much healthier than the traditional Sicilian panelle. You can never go wrong with more garlic ♥ Thanks again for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
Mim
These look really yummy. Can you make the chickpea mixture the day before?
Maria
Yes, it can conveniently be prepared ahead of time. Thanks for stopping by Mim.
Shelley
I love these. I first made on Thanksgiving and tonight for a quick meal I made them again. Tonight served over a cauliflower puree with tahini. So good, so versatile, so quick! Thanks for recipe. I plan to share this recipe with my wellness clients since it’s healthy and gluten free too.
Maria
Amazing Shelley! It really is such a wonderful recipe. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it!
Justine | JustineCelina.com
I’ve never worked with chick pea flour — but you certainly have me intrigued. Love this healthy, GF spin on an Italian classic. Beautiful recipe!
Maria
Thanks Justine! Hope you get a chance to give it a try. Thanks so much for stopping by ♥♥♥
Nadia
Maria, I love cooking with chickpea flour and these remind me of Sicilian Panelle, although probably a bit healthier! It’s interesting to see how the different regions of Italy use similar ingredients but in different ways. Thanks for sharing!
Maria
I totally agree Nadia! Thanks so much for stopping by ♥♥♥
JoAnn Fusco
I’m of Sicilian heritage. I’ve been looking for a chickpea recipe for NewYears. My father was from Palermo & this sounds a lot like panneli. Can I have the recipe please. It’s not showing
Maria
Yes, it is very similar. This version is a spicy one. If you go to the bottom of the page, the recipe should be there. There is also a button underneath the title of the page which says “jump to recipe”. If you click on it, it should bring you to the recipe. Thanks for stopping by, appreciate your comment 🙂