A healthier pizza whose crust has more proteins than carbs!

Ever wondered if you could eat pizza guilt-free and not worry so much about the carbs? Using a chickpea flour for the crust is one delicious way to make this happen. Chickpea flour was a staple of many of my favorite delicacies when I was growing up in India. So, when I read about how it is used in certain parts of Italy to make a hearty breakfast pizza called socca or farinata, I know I had to try it. There are many recipes using chickpea flour for pizza crust, but here I created my unique blend. The result was an excellent gluten-free pizza topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and spinach.

Ingredients:

For the pizza batter

  • 2/3 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch or flour
  • 2 tbsp rice flour (brown or white)
  • 1 tbsp dried herbs, any choice (I like a combination of oregano, parsley or basil)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (optional – found in Indian Stores). If you don’t have this you can combine 1/4 tsp onion powder + 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated or ground or any other cheese you prefer (I used blend of Mexican cheese)

Topping Choices:

  • Handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
  • Handful baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
  • Shredded cheeses (I used Mexican cheese combination – shredded mozzarella with cheddar and Parmesan cheese). Feel free to use your favorite cheese combo.
  • Fresh tomato pizza sauce or pesto sauce
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Dried oregano and basil (either is fine, if you don’t have both)

Method:

  1. In a mixing container, place chickpea flour, tapioca flour, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix it with a spoon. Add the water and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and whisk until smooth.

2. Add your choice of cheese and mix to combine.

3. Place a 10-inch heavy-bottom shallow saucepan over medium-high heat. Here, using a Dutch-oven frying pan is ideal to make the pizza crust crispy.

4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pan and wait for it to heat up. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it into an even layer to form the crust of the pizza.

4. Slice the cherry tomatoes, and wash-dry spinach.

5. Spread the tomatoes cut-side up and spinach leaves, add the cheese, pepper, herbs and place it like pizza toppings over the batter.

5. Cover the pan and allow the crust to cook until it is firm in the center and develops a light or golden brown color underneath (7 to 8 minutes).

6. Now it is time to move the pizza into the oven and under the oven’s broiler for 300 degrees.

7. Keep the pizza in the oven until the top is browned and simmering (about 3 to 4 minutes). Then transfer the pizza to a wire rack to cool and wait for the cheese to set. Then, slice it into pieces and serve warm.

No kidding, I made this in 20 minutes, from start to finish and it turned out delicious for a quick evening meal. My family enjoyed it and looks like its going to be a weekly pizza day with this guilt-free recipe. 🤤😊

Try it out and let met know what you think!😊