Using chickpea flour (gram flour) to make frittata is one of the best vegan hacks there is. My vegan frittata is made with chard and is perfect for a picnic or lunch.
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This vegan version of the traditional Italian baked egg dish is made with chickpea flour, or gram flour.
It's filled with chard, onions and garlic and is a delicious way to use up seasonal greens.
Frittata can be eaten warm or cold and are a great addition to a lunchbox or picnic spread.
What is frittata?
A traditional frittata is made with eggs.
They're whisked and prepared in much the same way as an omelette.
Frittata is often filled with vegetables or other fillings and can be baked in the oven.
Making it vegan
To make frittata vegan you'll need to use one of my favourite ingredients - chickpea or gram flour.
The chickpea flour is simply mixed with water to make a batter. It thickens beautifully during baking and has a great texture.
What is chickpea flour/gram flour?
Gram flour is a flour made from chickpeas.
There are several different varieties and you might see it called besan, which is slightly different but can also be used for this recipe.
It's used in Indian cooking to make things like pakoras.
Chickpea flour is also used in France and Italy to make thin savoury pancakes called socca crepes or farinata. In Argentina it's used to make a dish called faina that is often served alongside pizza.
You can get gram flour in most large supermarkets, health food stores or Asian supermarkets or online*.
Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this chickpea flour frittata:
- gram flour (chickpea flour)
- cold water
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- chard (or other greens eg spinach)
- nutritional yeast
- parsley
- Salt and pepper
Substitutions
You can make this frittata with different vegetables as liked - just cook them first before adding the gram flour batter.
Other greens can be substituted for the chard eg spinach or kale. If using spinach bear in mind that it will cook quicker than other greens.
Equipment
If you have a frying pan or cast iron pan* that can go in the oven that will save you on washing up. I make mine in a Le Creuset* casserole dish. A shallow Le Creuset pan* would be even better.
More chickpea flour recipes you might like
If you like this you might also like:
Or you might like my guide to how to cook chard.
Like eating seasonally? See what's in season in September.
How to make vegan frittata
Make the batter
1. Place the chickpea (gram) flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Slowly pour in the cold water
3. Whisk as you go to get rid of any lumps. Set aside to rest.
Make the filling
4. Fry the onions in olive oil (if you use an ovenproof pan for this you can use the same pan to bake your frittata).
5. Add the garlic and chard stalks and cook until soft.
6. Add the shredded chard leaves and cook until wilted. Stir in the nutritional yeast and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Make the frittata
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
8. Transfer the chard mixture to a greased ovenproof dish if needed. Pour over the chickpea flour batter and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until set and golden brown on the top.
If you have made this recipe and loved it please consider leaving a comment and rating below.
Vegan chard frittata
Ingredients
- 200 g gram flour chickpea flour
- 450 ml cold water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 250 g chard shredded and stalks chopped and reserved
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Place 200g gram flour in a mixing bowl and slowly pour in 450ml cold water, whisking as you go until there are no lumps left.
- Set aside while you prepare your vegetables.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan - ideally one that you can put in the oven.
- Add the chopped onion, reduce the heat to low and sauté for 10-15 minutes until soft and starting to turn golden brown.
- Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and the chopped chard stalks. Fry for a further 10 minutes, stirring often, until the stalks are soft.
- Add the chard leaves and cook for a few minutes until wilted. Stir through 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- If your frying pan isn’t ovenproof lightly grease an ovenproof dish with oil and transfer your chard mixture into it now.
- Pour over the gram flour mixture, ensuring it reaches the edges of your dish.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until set and golden brown on top.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with salads.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin vegan frittata for later
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