Tinkerman, episode II

After tabulating the eight most-viewed episodes of UaKS so far, I realized that I hadn't made the Chickpea Curry (a surprising #6 on the list) in a while. But no recipe is safe from tinkering, if needed, and I've never been completely happy with the texture of the chickpeas in that dish when I make it with canned chickpeas, which is almost always. They're just not soft enough after being cooked for the time specified in the original recipe. So I added some more liquid to the recipe (most of the aquafaba in the cans, which cuts down on waste and boosts the protein) and cooked the chickpeas longer in that liquid, with the lid on for part of the cooking time. The result was soft chickpeas, with the added bonus of extra sauce to soak into the rice and/or naan the curry is served over. I'm not posting a new recipe, just making the changes to the old one, which is now Chickpea Curry 1.1.

I also varied my basic recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes by substituting half a can of pumpkin puree for the ¼ cup of yogurt and adding 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. I updated the original recipe to include pumpkin pancakes as a variation, but Cassie asked me to also post this separately because, shockingly, she loved these pumpkin pancakes, whereas she is not a fan of regular pancakes. And even Brad said these are better than regular buttermilk pancakes, so there you go. Breakfast for dinner in about 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Adapted from Gena Hamshaw via Food52 and Cook's Country #63 June/July 2015

Time: 12 minutes to make the batter; cooking time varies based on whether you're making the pancakes on a griddle or in a skillet

You can also make this recipe with non-dairy milk. At the beginning of step 2, vigorously whisk together 2 cups (485 grams) of your favorite non-dairy milk with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar until the mixture is a little frothy, then whisk in the pumpkin and eggs.

Dry ingredients
300 grams (~2½ cups) gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour or a mix of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour
25 grams (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (store bought or make your own)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
rounded ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet ingredients
2 large eggs (~57 grams each in the shells)
485 grams (2 cups) buttermilk (see note)
212 grams (½ can/~⅞ cup) pumpkin puree (use the other ½ can for pumpkin muffins)
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, or neutral-flavored oil such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable

Neutral-flavored oil such as sunflower, canola, or vegetable, for cooking

    1. In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
    2. Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk to break them up. Add the buttermilk, pumpkin, and melted butter or oil, and whisk until smooth.
    3a. If you're using a gluten-free flour blend, dump the dry ingredients into the large bowl, then whisk everything together quite thoroughly until the batter is completely smooth (see the first photo above).
    3b. If you're using all-purpose flour or a mix, dump the dry ingredients into the large bowl, then whisk everything together until blended and there are no streaks of dry flour or big lumps, but use a gentler hand to avoid tough pancakes.
    4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large griddle set to 350 degrees (or 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium heat) until hot. Gently wipe out the oil with a paper towel, leaving just a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
    5. Using a ¼-cup dry measuring cup, a 2-ounce ladle, or a #16 (¼ cup) disher, scoop the batter onto the griddle in 8 places (or into the pan in 3 places). Cook until the edges of the pancakes are set, the bottoms are golden brown, and bubbles on the top begin to pop, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes as gently as you can, and cook until the other sides are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter, oiling and wiping out the griddle (or pan) again as needed. Serve promptly with real maple syrup. Makes ~24 four-inch pancakes, serving 4.