This isn’t really a frittata. A frittata actually supposed to be fried. This is baked. And it has cauliflower as the main ingredient. But I am still going to called it a baked cauliflower frittata because it kinda reminds me of one, and I am not much of a one for rigid rules haha!
How to make a frittata without eggs?
Traditionally a frittata would be made with egg as a binder. This one however, is fully vegan (as with all of my recipes). I am using chickpea flour. Chickpea flour is also called garbanzo bean flour or gram flour, and happens to be an excellent binder in place of egg. In fact, chickpea flour holds the whole frittata together to perfection. It’s very nutritious too.
It’s practically magic. You don’t need eggs at all.
Bring on totally egg-free frittata!
Can I make a cauliflower frittata without frying?
Yes!
Baking your frittata is an excellent healthy alternative to frying. I don’t usually fry anything, so I develop recipes that involve baking instead. Baking works a treat for this type of frittata.
Strictly speaking frittata is related to the word ‘fry’, so I am using an artistic licence here to call it something that it reminds me of.
Cauliflower in your frittata. What?
Cauliflower works fabulously in this baked frittata. You can actually put whatever you want in it, as long as it bakes in the allocated time.
This recipe has just the right amount of baking time to ensure that your cauliflower softens nicely. This give is a lovely texture throughout the slice.
The flavour of the cauliflower is gentle, comforting and non-invasive.
Where do I get chickpea flour from?
Chickpea flour is often known as gram flour or besan flour. In the USA chickpeas are called garbanzo beans, which means it may be called garbanzo bean flour in the USA.
In the UK you can get chickpea flour (usually labelled as gram flour) in the international section of any good supermarket. This is normally the cheapest option by a long stretch. It’s also available in health food shops or online.
Baked vegan cauliflower frittata
A baked vegan alternative to fried frittata using cauliflower and chickpea flour.
Ingredients
- 300g cauliflower
- 150g (1 and 1/8 cups) chickpea flour (gram flour/gabanzo bean flour)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablepoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- A thumbsized piece of fresh ginger
- 150ml (0.6 cups) water
- 150ml (0.6 cups) passata
- Handful spinach (optional)
- 4 cherry tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Take a quick look at the video below first for a visual guide.
- Measure your ingredients (except the spinach and tomato) and put them into a blender to create a thick batter. Note: If you don't want to blend just finely grate the ginger and then mix everything very thoroughly together until there are no lumps of chickpea flour. Blending is easier though.
- Chop the cauliflower into tiny pieces.
- Chop the spinach into small pieces if you are opting to use it.
- Mix the cauliflower into the batter throughly.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper (baking paper). This is essential to stop the batter sticking to the tray. I use a tray 20cm x 30cm (8" x 12") that is 1cm (0.4") deep.
- Pour the cauliflower with batter into the parchment paper lined tray. Spend a couple of minutes to spread it out evenly. You want it about half an inch thick.
- Make sure that there is batter covering all the cauliflower pieces as this is essential for getting the frittata slices to hold together. I find it helpful to press down with the back of a spoon and be patient until it is done.
- Put the tray into a pre-heated fan oven at 200C (400F) and allow to bake for approximately 25 minutes. You can see when it is cooked as it will look tanned.
- Once baked take out of the tray, flipping it over and peeling off the parchment paper.
- Turn your frittata back over and slice into triangles.
- Serve immediately hot, or enjoy them cold later.
- Please let me know how you get on in the comments below.
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Thank you for all your recipes. I just made this frittata. I updated a little as I used what I had in the fridge. Cavolo nero instead of spinach and I topped it up with red pepper and broccoli. I’m not too fond of waste.
Delicious. It inspired me to create the pizza base with chickpea flour and cauliflower.
That is fabulous and I love your adaptations for it! I always use whatever is available too. Fab approach.