Since February is “Heart Health Month”, I thought I’d share with you an egg alternative that is truly heart healthy, and not just because it’s cholesterol-free. There has been studies that show it’s more the saturated fat than the dietary cholesterol that raises bad cholesterol. And although that might be true, eggs are one of the most dietary-cholesterol dense foods out there. So although there might be worse things for you to eat, especially when watching your cholesterol, limiting your intake of dietary cholesterol will help too.
Eggs are one of the things I craved when making the switch to being plant based. I have them here and there but it makes my stomach feel heavy and sometimes I’ll feel like I’m going to get sick about an hour after eating them. So I’ve looked for other options and here is an easy recipe to make at home for those staying away from eggs. Whether that’s because of an allergy, you’re watching your cholesterol, or are plant-based.
This recipe uses garbanzo flour. Since garbanzo beans have a sulfuric taste and smell, they do great for making an egg substitute. There is also a black salt called “kala namak”, usually found in Indian grocery stores, that has a sulfuric taste and smell too that you can use instead of regular salt. Note that it isn’t just “black salt” that you can find some places, but you will have to find something titled “kala namak”.
So let’s still talk about garbazo bean flour for a second and learn why this isn’t just an alternative egg recipe, but also a nutritious one.
Garbanzo Flour
- High in Fiber to help with Weight Management, Heart Health, Stabilize Blood Sugar
- Beans like Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), help to Lower Cholesterol Naturally
- Lowers Inflammation
- Improves Immune Fuction
- Easily Digestible & Gluten-Free
Basic Recipe & What I Use
Before I show you the base recipe I use at home, I wanted to give you the equation I use for making garbanzo eggs.
1/4 garbanzo flour to 1/4 liquid = 1 large egg
The Liquid I Use
I use to use water but found that it came out dry. I used almond milk and it helped a little, but then I started using the liquid from a can of chickpeas known as “aquafaba” or bean water. It has proteins in it from the beans. Because of that, when whipped it can even be used in place of egg whites in some recipes. Since I use a can of chickpeas at least once a week, I just put the chickpeas in a container and store it in the fridge and use the liquid from the can. Easy as that!
It still comes out a little dry compared to normal eggs, but when you use it with other veggies and add a sauce it’s great! It does better as being an omelet since scrambling it can be a little bit of a hassle, but can still work!
Cholesterol-Free Garbanzo Flour Eggs
Ingredients
- 1/2 c garbanzo flour
- 1/2 cup aquafaba (liquid from 1 can chickpeas)
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp onion
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- turmeric, for color
- Salt and Pepper, to taste (or kala namak salt)
Directions
- Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl. Once it is combined, pour into skillet. If you are using a non-stick skillet you will not need to add any oil. If you do not have a non-stick skillet, use a small amount of oil before pouring. Heat the skillet on medium heat.
- Once the batter starts to bubble in the middle like a pancake would you can either flip it if you are going to use it as an omelet or start to scramble it with the spatula. You might have to cut it after it’s done to scramble it more once it’s out of the pan.
- It usually takes about 5-10 minutes for it to cook.
Nutritional Information for Whole Recipe
107 calories | 1.8 g total fat | 0.2 g saturated fat | 0.7 g polyunsaturated fat | 0.4 g monounsaturated fat | 0 g trans fat | 0 mg cholesterol | 181 mg sodium | 16.9 g carbohydrates | 2.9 g fiber | 2.6 g sugar | 6.0 g protein
Macro Sources
63% Carbohydrates | 15% Fat | 22% Protein
Dietary Servings per Portion
- 1.1 Meat Alternative
- 0.5 Vegetables
A Different Beet Nutrition 