Moroccan · Snack
Karan (Baked Chickpea Flour Flan)
Karan — sometimes called garan — is a savoury baked custard of chickpea flour, egg and oil, set firm and golden, then cut into squares and sold warm as a filling street snack, often tucked into bread with cumin and harissa. Silky inside with a bronzed top, it is humble, cheap and deeply satisfying, a cousin of the chickpea flans found around the Mediterranean.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 200 g chickpea (gram) flour
- 700 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the tin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin, plus extra to serve
- Harissa and bread, to serve
Method
- 1
Make the batter
Whisk the chickpea flour with the water until completely smooth and lump-free, then whisk in the eggs, oil, salt and cumin.
- 2
Rest
Let the batter rest for 10 minutes and whisk again; resting helps a silkier set.
- 3
Pour and bake
Pour into an oiled baking tin to about 2 cm deep and bake at 190°C for 40–45 minutes until set, golden and slightly cracked on top.
- 4
Cool a little
Let it firm up for 10 minutes so it cuts cleanly.
- 5
Serve warm
Cut into squares and serve warm, dusted with cumin and salt, with harissa and bread — or stuffed into a split roll.
Chef's tips
- Whisk the batter until truly smooth; lumps of chickpea flour give a gritty flan.
- Bake until the top is properly set and golden, or the centre stays wet and pudding-like.
- It is traditionally eaten with cumin, salt and harissa — do not skip that finishing dust.
Frequently asked questions
Is karan the same as Tunisian or Gibraltar chickpea flan?
They are close relatives. Karan is the Moroccan take, baked with egg for a firmer, more custardy set, and eaten as a street snack with cumin and harissa.
Can I make it vegan?
You can leave out the eggs and add a little more chickpea flour so it still sets, though the texture is denser and less custardy than the classic egg version.