I’ve never been a huge fan of tortilla chips & salsa.
Then I grew up and tried good salsa, and fresh tomatoes. My mind changed a bit there (but I am still picky…)
Then, Shagbark came around. And that altered the chip thing.
Crackers, that’s another story. I LOVE crackers, and always thought they (& pretzels!) were the healthy alternative to chips. Uhm, no. BIG no. Most are made with refined white flour, and can be sodium overload. The “Made With Whole Grains!” claim can be a joke. It’s hard to find a healthy, wholesome, wholegrain, high fiber, good source of protein, preservative free cracker out there (and probably so, because I just listed a bunch of restrictions!) So last year, I set about making my own.
Yep, last year. I’ve been making these crackers for at least a year now on a regular basis. They started out alright, and are now pretty good! They are a bit dry, but I love ‘em crunchy. There’s gotta be some give sometimes, and I like them the way they are.
 
That’s not to say I don’t ever eat store bought chips/crackers. I have my moments where I’m in school and I want something quick, and grab 3 bags from the store, that will somehow disappear in a week(!), but usually wish I had these ones afterwards!
Also, they are super easy. There’s just about 5 minutes of hands on time (enough to pre-heat the oven!), then bake! It does take a while: I found low and slow is better than higher temps, and you gotta check on it a bit. The flavors are up to you. Lemme know what you try!

 

Besan (Chickpea/Garbanzo Bean flour) Crackers (4 servings):

Ingredients:
1c besan
1/2-3/4c fresh tomatoes (or 1/4-1/2c cooked)
1/2-1c zucchini, grated (optional)*
1/2-1 TBSP seasonings of choice*
water

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 275
2. Cut up tomatoes and microwave them for one minutes. Meanwhile, grate zucchini into a large bowl, if using. Crush the tomatoes the best you can, and add to the large bowl.
3. Add the chickpea flour and spices and stir (best with a whisk or fork).
4. Add 1/2c of water and stir the best you can. If using full amounts of zucchini/tomatoes, only add 2-4tbsp more water. If using less, add 1/4c-1/2c more water. The batter should be about a thick pancake consistency.
5. Line a large cooking sheet with PARCHMENT* paper. Pour the batter in the center and spread out, mostly until the edge, being sure there aren’t any holes.
6. Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack. Then, slide out the rack and slice: into fourths, each fourth into a 3×4 (so 12 pieces, see diagram below). return to oven, reduce temperature to 250*, and bake for a TOTAL TIME of 3 hours. After 2.5 hours have passed, check on them. The outsides may be almost done. If they are, break them off and take them out. After 3 hours, the outsides may be done and the insides may still need a bit longer. Taste, they are so good fresh and hot!
7. Once done, break them up and store in a sealed container.

The variations on this are endless! Lets take a look at the first time I made them…

 

flour + spices + handful of cherry tomatoes

pouring onto wax paper… do NOT do that!!

too much light…

all cut up….

and that’s why you don’t use wax… it sticks!

Anyways, notes on the FLAVOR!
the first time I made them, I threw in some tomatoes for some flavor, and well, they were going bad. It worked out wonderfully! I also used a mix of Italian seasoning and some cumin. it also tasted great! I followed that recipe for a while, but sometimes change the amount/type of tomatoes used (and thus the “water” added changes). Then early this summer, with a surplus of squash, I added some grated zucchini in. I added it after the water, and they turned out a bit thick because I had a lot of batter, but they were SO GOOD. I under baked the center a bit, and ate them like warm, soft bread (that’s another variation I’ve made- don’t dry them all the way to crackers- keep them soft and serve fresh and warm!) Since then, I’ve always added zucchini.
You can really add whatever spices you want. I found I love the fresh black pepper, and I love an Indian take. the turmeric does turn it slightly yellow, though.
Spices options:
– 1-1.5 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. fresh cracker black pepper
.5 tsp. toasted cumin, .25 tsp. ish each garam masala, cumin seeds, turmeric, ground coriander, and red pepper flakes

flour + spices

& zucchini, tomatoes

~ 1/2 done!

And whole grain goodness! And all for mee yeaaaaay.

(this will vary on your brand of flour…)

Perfect for October Unprocessed!

~Masala Girl
you ever made crackers at home?