Sometimes a little bit of bread-like love is what a dish calls for. Maybe there’s a sauce left in the bottom of a bowl that looks like it needs to be sopped up, or a soup crying out for a warm, textured companion. The first time we made these were to go with a chicken shawarma, and they were delicious! Now they have become a staple, and with only 16 grams of carbs they can be a regular addition to any meal, or eaten just as a snack.

The chickpea flour and yogurt deliver over 5 grams of protein which gives these savory cakes some staying power. And the 6 grams of fiber from the bean flour make them slow carbohydrates, with no blood sugar spikes.

Harissa is a common flavoring used in Tunisian cooking. Think Moroccan hot sauce. It typically is made with red peppers, chilies, onion, garlic, spices like cumin and coriander, and tomato paste with lemon juice for tang. We like Mustafa’s brand which is available at the PCC in Seattle, the Chef Shop, and many other grocery stores.

Directions:

Turn oven to 350 degrees.

Oil or grease muffin tins.

In a large bowl combine chickpea flour, yogurt, eggs, vinegar, and lemon juice and give a stir.
Dice red peppers and tomatoes and sautée in a pan with 1 tsp of oil until some of moisture has been removed. Set aside.

Toast and grind cumin and coriander seed if you have none available.To the large bowl, add the harissa, olive oil, toasted cumin and coriander, peppers and tomatoes, baking powder, and salt. Stir again until fully incorporated—don’t use mixer.

Fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 way full and bake for about 14 minutes. You may want to check your cakes at 12 or 13 minutes depending on your oven. Do not over bake, and take out of oven as soon as set (you can check with a toothpick). Let cool before removing from tin(s). I run a straight edge around the outside of each cake before popping them out.