Spiced Chickpea Pancakes with Cumin Ghee

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add to a large bowl and roughly mash with a fork, leaving about half of the chickpeas intact for texture.

Add the flour, yogurt, cumin, turmeric, salt, and black pepper to the bowl with the mashed chickpeas. Stir until a thick, cohesive batter forms. If the batter seems too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it is the consistency of thick pancake batter.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 1 minute, swirling, until melted and beginning to foam. Pour the melted butter into the batter and fold it in.

In the same small saucepan, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 0.25 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until the butter turns golden amber and the cumin seeds are fragrant and toasted. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from heat immediately.

Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Add 0.5 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat the pan. Let the butter melt and foam for 30 seconds.

Scoop approximately 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake into the pan, spacing them 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each mound slightly with the back of a spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the edges look set and the bottom is golden brown.

Flip each pancake carefully using a wide spatula. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the second side is golden and the pancakes are cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed. You should have about 12 pancakes total.

Drizzle the warm cumin ghee generously over the stack of pancakes, making sure to scatter the toasted cumin seeds evenly.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the pancakes and scatter with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.