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    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Panelle (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters)

    Published: Feb 23, 2021 · Modified: Sep 25, 2023 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

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    Panelle or Sicilian Chickpea Fritters is a popular Palermo street food that you can easily prepare at home. Excellent as an appetizer, a snack, or for making your own panelle sandwich!

    An image showing Panelle in a paper cone, served with slices of lemon.

    Like panzerotti and arancini, both traditional Italian snacks typical in South Italy, these Sicilian chickpea fritters are ubiquitous in Palermo — and rightly so.

    It’s a great on-the-go treat.  

    Delicious, filling, and easy on the wallet. What more could you ask for?

    Jump to:
    • What is panelle?
    • Ingredients
    • Preparation
    • Helpful tips
    • Panelle sandwich (Pane e Panelle)
    • FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe

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    What is panelle?

    It is arguably the most famous street food in Palermo, the capital of the island of Sicily.

    Panelle is made of chickpea flour, with some fresh parsley, salt, and pepper for seasoning, then deep-fried to perfection.

    But it’s not just great for snacks.

    It’s also found in every osteria or trattoria’s menu, under ‘antipasti,’ — and as the locals love to do, it’s excellent for making a panelle sandwich as well. Yum!

    Ingredients

    An image showing all the ingredients you need for making panelle.
    • Chickpea flour – made from dry chickpeas.
    • Salt – just use your favorite brand.
    • Black pepper – ground black pepper
    • Parsley – I strongly suggest using fresh Italian parsley for this panelle recipe, plus you would also be using it for serving later on.
    • Oil – you need to use neutral (no-taste) vegetable oil for frying, not olive oil.
    An image showing fried chickpea fritters served as an appetizer, with lemon slices on the background.

    Preparation

    Start preparing your panelle by combining salt and three cups of water in a medium-sized saucepan.

    Add chickpea flour.

    Combining chickpea flour with water as the first step in preparing this panelle recipe.

    Whisk until there are no lumps.

    Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and keep whisking.

    After three minutes, add the black pepper and continue whisking.

    Season your Sicilian chickpea fritters with salt and ground black pepper.

    After about four more minutes, you will see that the flour is starting to thicken — when you lift your whisk from the bottom of the pan.

    Adjust heat to medium-low and continue mixing for nine more minutes.  

    Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped parsley.

    Once the chickpea flour and water starts forming, add fresh parsley to your panelle.

    Mix to evenly combine the parsley, then transfer the dough into a loaf tin.

    Use your spatula (or hand) to flatten the dough’s top, gently pressing down.

    Place the chickpea fritters mixture in a loaf tin and press to remove gaps.

    Set the tin aside, uncovered to cool and solidify — at least sixty to ninety minutes.

    When the dough is ready, simply turn the loaf tin over to remove the dough.

    Cut it into half.

    Once your Sicilian chickpea fritters block has solidified, remove from the tin and start cutting.

    Then cut it into quarter, and then slice into about half a centimeter thick and slice across to cut a triangle.

    Cut them into triangular, thin shapes of panelle.

    Heat the oil in another saucepan over medium-high heat.

    Once the oil is ready, start frying the chickpea fritters.

    Fry your Sicilian chicckpea fritters in extremely hot vegetable oil.

    Once they’re cooked, place your Sicilian chickpea fritters on top of kitchen paper after to drain any excess oil.

    Serve panelle with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of ground black pepper.

    Panelle served in a paper cone, straight out of the fryer, garnish with ground pepper and fresh parsley.

    Helpful tips

    • Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon once the chickpea flour becomes too thick for the metal whisk. 
    • You can experiment cutting your panelle in any shape you want, but keep it no less than half a centimeter thick; too thin might be a bit of a challenge to handle when frying.
    • There is no need to refrigerate the dough to cool it.  Setting it aside at room temperature is enough, even drier, because there is no extra moisture from the cold.
    • Alternatively, you can use a rectangular baking tray (sheet) to flatten your panelle mixture instead of a loaf tin.  

    I always find this option more difficult because I am not quick enough to flatten it before it becomes hard.

    Some of my friends prefer this method, though, because it cools it faster.

    An image showing a Panelle Sandwich with bits of fritters in front.

    Panelle sandwich (Pane e Panelle)

    Another Palermo favorite is the panelle sandwich, locally known as ‘pane e panelle.’

    It’s basically just making a sandwich with some panelle as filling — and trust me, it’s almost a complete meal.

    If you don’t believe me, make yourself one (or more) pane e panelle now and judge for yourself. 😉

    • Step #1: Get a bun or a bread roll, cut it in half and add one layer of panelle on the lower part of the bun.
    • Step #2: Sprinkle some pepper, add fresh parsley, and add another layer of fritters, repeating it for at least three layers.
    • Step #3: Squeeze some lemon on the last layer, then cover with the top bun and serve.

    It’s really up to you how much panelle you want in the sandwich, but this is the right amount for me. 🙂

    FAQs

    Can I prepare these Sicilian chickpea fritters in advance?

    Yes, you can prepare the panelle mixture and keep it refrigerated. 

    I have not kept it for more than 24 hours, though, and I do not cover it when it’s in the refrigerator.  

    If you do, the top of the panelle would be moist, and that’s not what you want.

    Can I reheat it?

    No, I don’t recommend doing this. The chickpea fritters would be soggy by then.  

    Panelle should be enjoyed right out of the fryer.

    So how about it? Try this Sicilian chickpea fritters recipe this weekend and let me know!

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    📖 Recipe

    Freshly cooked panelle from Palermo, served with a dustingg of ground black pepper.

    Panelle Recipe (Sicilian Chickpea Fritters)

    Panelle or Sicilian Chickpea Fritters is a popular Palermo street food that you can easily prepare at home. Excellent as an appetizer, a snack, or for making your own panelle sandwich — hot, crispy and delicious!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 376kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Medium-Sized Saucepan
    • Whisk
    • Loaf Tin (2 lb)
    • Rubber Spatula

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups chickpea flour
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, (plus more for serving)
    • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, (plus more for serving)
    • 2/3 cup oil, for frying
    • lemon, for serving (optional)

    Instructions

    Preparing panelle:

    • Using a medium-sized pan, combine salt and 3 cups of water. 
    • Add chickpea flour and whisk until there are no lumps.
    • Place the pan over medium-high heat and keep whisking.
    • After 3 minutes, add the ground black pepper and continue whisking.
    • Wait for about 4 more minutes, and you will start seeing it thicken.  Test this by lifting your whisk, and you will see bits attached to it.
    • Adjust heat to medium-low and continue mixing for 9 more minutes.  You can switch to a wooden spoon or spatula anytime from this point on because the whisk is not sturdy enough to handle the dough.
    • Take the saucepan off the heat and add the chopped parsley. 
    • Mix, then transfer your panelle into a loaf tin.
    • Use your hand to flatten the top of the mixture while gently pressing.
    • Set the tin aside, uncovered to cool and solidify — at least sixty to ninety minutes. (Room temperature is sufficient.)

    Frying & Serving Sicilian chickpea fritters:

    • When the dough is ready, turn the loaf tin over to remove it.
    • Cut into half, then quarter, and then slice into about 1/2-centimeter thick and slice across to cut a triangle.
    • Using a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.
    • Once the oil is ready, start frying the chickpea fritters, placing them on top of kitchen paper after to drain any excess oil.
    • Serve your panelle with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of ground black pepper — they're best when warm!

    Panelle sandwich recipe:

    • Slice a bun or a bread roll in half and add one layer of panelle on the bun's lower part.
    • Add a dash of ground black pepper and fresh parsley, then add another layer of chickpea fritters — repeating it for at least three layers.
    • On the top layer, squeeze some fresh lemon on the panelle and cover with the top bun.
    • Serve.

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip #1: No need to refrigerate the dough when cooling it.Setting it aside at room temperature is enough, even makes it drier since there is no extra moisture from the cold.
    • Cook’s Tip #2: Feel free to cut it in any shape you want. But try to keep it no less than half a centimeter thick, or it might be a bit of a challenge to handle during frying.
    • Cook’s Tip #3: You can use a rectangular baking tray (sheet tray) to flatten the dough instead of a loaf tin.It cools it faster, but you have to be quick in flattening the dough before it becomes hard.
    • FAQ #1: You can prepare it in advance and keep the panelle dough in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours, but do not cover it once it’s in the fridge.
    • FAQ #2: Reheating it will turn it soggy; panelle should be eaten straight out of the fryer!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 227IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg
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