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Vegan Chickpea Flour Scramble with Chickpeas, Kale and Avocado

A golden, egg-free scramble made from chickpea flour, with whole chickpeas, red cabbage, kale and sliced avocado. A vegan breakfast free from soya and gluten, ready in 25 minutes.

Breakfast

25

Serves 2

A cast-iron pan of golden vegan scramble with chickpeas, red cabbage and greens, topped with sliced avocado and a drizzle of hot sauce, with a smaller portion on toast beside it

Ingredients

  • 70g/2½oz/⅔ cup chickpea flour (gram flour or besan; labelled gluten-free if needed)
  • 150ml/⅔ cup cold water
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (about 5g), ½ tsp ground turmeric and a pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
  • 1 small onion (about 80g/3oz), finely chopped
  • 80g/3oz red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 50g/2oz kale, tough stalks removed, chopped
  • 120g/4oz drained tinned chickpeas (half a 400g/14oz tin)
  • 1 medium ripe avocado (about 140g/5oz flesh), sliced
  • 2 tsp (10ml) hot sauce, such as sriracha (optional)

Method

  1. Whisk the chickpea flour, water, nutritional yeast, turmeric and salt in a jug until smooth with no lumps.
  2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron frying pan (skillet), about 26cm/10in, over a medium heat. Cook the onion and cabbage for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the kale and chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes more, until the kale wilts.
  3. Pour in the batter and leave for 1 minute, then stir and scrape the bottom of the pan every 30 seconds for 4 to 5 minutes, until it sets into soft, golden curds with no wet batter left. Chickpea flour must be fully cooked, so do not serve it while it still looks glossy.
  4. Top with the avocado and a drizzle of hot sauce, if using, and serve straight away, or spoon onto toast (not gluten-free unless labelled).
  5. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 1 day (add the avocado fresh); reheat in a pan until steaming hot.

Why it works

A serving gives you about 17g of protein and an impressive 16g of fibre for 437 calories, from the chickpea flour, chickpeas and vegetables.

Why chickpea flour. Chickpea flour, also called gram flour or besan, sets into soft curds when cooked, much like scrambled egg. Unlike tofu scrambles, it is free from soya, and it is naturally gluten-free.

Cook it through. Raw chickpea flour tastes bitter and is not meant to be eaten uncooked, so keep stirring until no glossy, wet batter is left.

Why it is tagged for blood sugar. With 34g of carbohydrate and plenty of fibre and protein, this breakfast is less likely to cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. Avocado adds healthy fats that make it more filling.

Free from soya, dairy, eggs, nuts and gluten as written; if you need it gluten-free, choose chickpea flour, nutritional yeast and hot sauce labelled gluten-free. Hot sauces such as sriracha often contain sulphites. Nutritional yeast is often fortified with vitamin B12, which vegans need from fortified foods or supplements. For a soya version, try the tofu scramble with turmeric and spinach.