Flatbread & Chicken Pesto with U.S. Chickpeas

I have been staying and working at home ever since the pandemic hit early last year. Due to safety precautions against COVID-19, cooking meals at home has become a daily routine and easy-to-prepare healthy meals are always welcome.

Instead of the usual rice meals which we Asians usually favour, I find that making your own flatbreads at home is a good option. Instead of the full-flour recipe, adding a portion of pulses flour, (e.g., U.S. Chickpea flour) gives it a healthier twist. Rich in minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, chickpeas help with our digestion and promote heart health. By adding chickpea flour, it amps up the nutritional value of the flatbread, as chickpeas are a good source of fibre and plant-based protein. I find that meals cooked with chickpeas are always lighter on the stomach, yet very filling.

To pair up with the Chickpea Flatbread, Chicken Pesto is a family favourite. I have replaced the usual nuts used in pesto recipes with chickpeas for variation — an excellent option if you are nut-intolerant. I like adding chickpeas as they blend very well into a nice thick, slightly-chunky delicious texture. Personally I prefer using canned U.S. Chickpeas as they are wallet-friendly and easily available in most groceries and supermarkets.

Here I’d like to share my recipes for Flatbread and Chicken Pesto using U.S. Chickpeas.

*Flatbread & Chicken Pesto using U.S. Chickpeas*

U.S. CHICKPEA FLATBREAD

Ingredients:

100g plain flour

100g U.S. Chickpea flour

1.5tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

30ml olive oil

150ml water

Method:

In a bowl, mix together plain flour, U.S. Chickpea flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add in olive oil and water gradually, mix well to form a dough.
Knead the dough for 2 minutes in the bowl until it’s smooth. Cover with clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Cut dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it and roll it out to about ¼” thickness.
Heat up a non-stick saucepan, brush with some oil and pan-fry each flatbread for about 2 minutes on each side till it is golden brown.
Keep flatbreads warm by covering it with a tea towel when it’s served.

U.S. CHICKPEA PESTO CHICKEN

For the PESTO:

Ingredients:

50g basil leaves

50g spinach

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp yoghurt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

200g canned U.S. Chickpeas

Method:

In a blender, blend basil, spinach, garlic, yoghurt with salt, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Add in the U.S. Chickpeas last, pulse a few rounds till you get a thick pesto.

PAN-FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

2 pieces boneless chicken thighs

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp black pepper

Oil for frying

Method:

In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, salt, and black pepper and marinate chicken with it. Let chicken marinate for 1-2 hours.
Heat up some oil in a saucepan and pan-fry chicken. Let cooked chicken rest for 20 minutes.
Slice chicken and serve it with U.S. Chickpea Pesto and Flatbreads.