On nights when time or inspiration are lacking, turn to chickpea flour. While chickpea flour, or besan or gram as it is sometimes known, may seem an unlikely weeknight cooking saviour, its versatility is unsurpassed. With its naturally nutty taste, it needs little more than water to turn it into a crispy batter for vegetables. One of my favourite meals is a twist on a childhood classic – sweet and sour cauliflower, made with chickpea flour batter, which I serve with thin slivers of red capsicums and ramen noodles. In the summer, I dip goats-cheese-filled zucchini flowers in chickpea batter before panfrying for a crispy, light and deeply satisfying warm-weather meal. Socca pancakes are a quick and easy weeknight dinner and satisfy my fondness for savoury pancakes. Originally from France (alternatively known as farinata in Italy), socca is a simple mixture of chickpea flour and water, enhanced with a lick of olive oil, and your chosen seasonings. I like to add some parmesan ch