Name: Panelle
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: Italian, Sicilian
Ingredients: 250 g chickpea flour, sifted if lumpy; 750 ml cold water; 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for finishing; 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 750 ml peanut or sunflower oil, for frying; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; 6 soft sesame rolls, optional, for pane e panelle

Panelle: wide hero view of golden rectangular chickpea fritters stacked on a rustic board with lemon wedges and parsley

Prep20 minutes

Cook30 minutes

Total1 h 50 min

Yield24 panelle / 6 servings

Jump to recipe ↓

The dish

About Panelle

Panelle are emblematic Palermo street food. Visit Sicily describes them as savoury chickpea-flour pancakes commonly eaten inside bread, often alongside potato croquettes known as crocchè or cazzilli.

The dough is cooked before frying. Chickpea flour is whisked into cold water and then heated until it becomes a thick, smooth paste that pulls from the pan. That first cooking hydrates the flour and gives the fritters a creamy interior.

Thickness matters more than exact shape. Spread the hot paste to roughly 4–5 mm: too thick and the centre feels heavy; too thin and the panelle become brittle before the outside has a chance to colour.

Fresh parsley is classic, while fennel seed is a documented variation. The photographed form is plain rectangular panelle with parsley and lemon, so parsley remains the primary seasoning here.

Technique

Three things that matter

Whisk before heating. Dispersing chickpea flour in cold water first prevents persistent lumps.
Cook until the paste releases. The mixture must be fully thickened before spreading or the fritters remain fragile.
Spread while hot. Once the paste cools it sets quickly and can no longer be levelled thinly.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Panelle mixture

250 gchickpea floursifted if lumpy
750 mlcold water
1 1/2 tspfine sea saltplus more for finishing
3 tbspflat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped

For frying and serving

750 mlpeanut or sunflower oilfor frying
1lemoncut into wedges
6soft sesame rollsoptional, for pane e panelle

Step by step

Method

Cook the chickpea paste

Whisk cold. Put the chickpea flour in a saucepan and gradually whisk in the cold water until completely smooth. Stir in the salt.
There should be no visible dry pockets or lumps before heat is applied.
Cook until thick. Set over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously at first and then stirring with a spatula as it thickens, for 10–12 minutes.
The paste should become very thick and pull cleanly from the sides of the pan.
Add parsley. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the chopped parsley.
Parsley should be evenly distributed through the hot paste.

Spread and set

Spread thinly. Working quickly, spread the hot paste over clean baking sheets or another smooth surface to 4–5 mm thickness.
The layer should be even with no thick ridges.
Cool completely. Leave at room temperature for about 45–60 minutes until fully set and firm enough to lift.
A corner should peel up cleanly without smearing.
Cut into pieces. Cut into rectangles about 7 × 10 cm, or into smaller traditional pieces for serving.
The pieces should hold together when picked up.

Fry and serve

Heat the oil. Heat the frying oil to 175–180°C in a deep heavy pan.
The thermometer should recover quickly after each small batch is added.
Fry in batches. Fry panelle 2–3 at a time for 2–3 minutes, turning once, until the edges are crisp and the surfaces lightly golden.
They should be rigid enough to lift without folding.
Drain and season. Drain on a rack or paper, season lightly with salt and serve hot with lemon, alone or tucked into soft rolls.
The exterior should be crisp while the centre remains tender.

Practical guidance

Fennel variation

Visit Sicily notes a version using fennel seeds instead of parsley. Either is valid, but avoid over-seasoning the delicate chickpea flavour.

Pane e panelle

For the classic Palermo street-food format, place several hot panelle inside a soft roll and finish with lemon.

Keeping crisp

Panelle are best immediately after frying. Holding them covered traps steam and softens the surface.

Troubleshooting

The paste is lumpy. The flour was added to hot water or the mixture was not whisked smooth before heating. Start with cold water.
The pieces break before frying. The paste was undercooked, spread too thickly or not allowed to set fully.
The panelle are greasy. The frying oil was too cool or the pan was overcrowded. Maintain 175–180°C and fry small batches.
The centre is heavy. The layer was too thick. Spread to roughly 4–5 mm before cooling.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 4 panelle
Calories: approximately 360 kcal
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 17 g
Fibre: 8 g
Sodium: 620 mg

Oil absorption varies with thickness and frying temperature; values exclude bread.

Allergens and food safety

Chickpea flour is naturally gluten-free, but strict gluten-free diets require certified uncontaminated flour and frying oil not shared with gluten-containing foods.

Deep-fry in a stable pot filled no more than halfway and keep water away from hot oil.

Serve promptly; refrigerate unfried set paste if holding longer than 2 hours.

FAQ

Are panelle made from whole chickpeas?

No. The traditional mixture uses chickpea flour cooked with water until thick, then set and fried.

Can panelle be eaten without bread?

Yes. They are excellent as hot fritters with lemon, though pane e panelle is the iconic Palermo street-food serving.

Should panelle be very brown?

No. They should be crisp with light golden colour; deep browning can make chickpea flour taste bitter.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Thin golden chickpea fritters with crisp edges, a tender centre, parsley and a clean squeeze of lemon.
Key: Cook the chickpea paste until very thick, spread it thinly while hot, let it set completely and fry at a stable high temperature.