My Kidney Kitchen Recipe of the Week—::> garbanzo crepes by Robin Rose MD

RENOLOGY embraces plant based protein and fermented foods as solid routes to diet success with CKD. There’s a learning curve - intention and commitment !

Feast your eyes on a delicious culinary treat

Creating fermented goodies for our daily CKD diet is a way to protect kidneys from the commonplace dysbiosis that comes from uremic toxins [known to cause the havoc of imbalance in the gut]. There are many conversations needed to really dive into that thought - at the moment I’m going to share a current culinary passion of mine- garbanzo crepes. I learned this from a vegan influencer I follow on Facebook. Easy and tasty and sparks every meal I serve them with.

In India, this is a a common part of the daily fare. Dosa is a South Indian staple - a thin, crispy or soft crepe made from a fermented batter of rice and urad dal (black gram). Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are widely used in Indian cuisine, in both their whole and flour (besan). These crepes are the best of all possible choices!!

First let’s look at what applying the art of fermentation to garbanzo beans can offer us.

Fermented chickpea hummus, dosa, or sourdough-like flatbreads made with fermented chickpea flour are both traditional and modern.

Lactobacillus species ( think of the culture used to make yogurt) significantly influence garbanzo beans through fermentation. The lacto fermentation affects their nutritional value, digestibility, flavor, and antinutrient content.

1. Reduction of Antinutrients

• Lactobacillus fermentation reduces phytic acid, tannins, and other antinutritional factors in garbanzos.

  
  

  [ phytates are natural ingredients in legumes and many vegetables - they play a positive role in limiting the absorption of phosphorus which can become a health hazard in CKD. However - they also can bind minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium, reducing their bioavailability.]

  
  

• Fermentation with Lactobacillus activates phytase enzymes (from both bacteria and the legumes), helping liberate these minerals and making them available.

• SO: in ckd it’s advisable to use common sense and caution - while the benefits of lacto fermentation are wonderful, eating the crepes with an array of alkalinizing veggies helps to balance this phytate issue while also taking a small dose of bicarbonate 30-60 minutes after eating [can get bicarbonate to the duodenum to derail this mineral -altering effect to maintain benefits while minimizing risks. ]

  • CKD patients often absorb only 30–50% of plant phosphorus even post-fermentation, compared to up to 90% of phosphorus in animal or additive forms.

    
    

2. Enhanced Digestibility

• Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) break down oligosaccharides [like raffinose and stachyose - common in garbanzos] these cause gas and bloating.

• LAB partially hydrolyze proteins and fibers, making the legumes easier to digest and reducing discomfort.

3. Improved Protein Quality and Amino Acid Profile

• Fermentation can increase the availability of essential amino acids [including lysine and methionine] - AND may generate short peptides with antioxidant or antihypertensive activity.
  

• [bioactive peptides are generated during the fermentation or enzymatic digestion of proteins found in legumes like garbanzos . These short peptide fragments (typically 2–20 amino acids) can exert specific health effects, including antioxidant and antihypertensive properties.

  
  

• Antioxidant Peptides scavenge free radicals (like superoxide, hydroxyl, and DPPH), chelate metal ions (iron, copper), preventing oxidative reactions, inhibit lipid peroxidation and support endogenous antioxidant enzymes (like SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase).

• Mechanism: The antioxidant effect is often due to the presence of amino acids like Histidine (imidazole ring scavenges radicals), Cysteine and methionine (thiol groups reduce oxidants), and Tyrosine and tryptophan (aromatic rings stabilize radicals).

  
  

• Antihypertensive Peptides act by inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), similar to pharma ACE inhibitors used in hypertension treatment. These reduce the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II (a potent vasoconstrictor), and enhance bradykinin (a vasodilator). This can lower systemic blood pressure and reduce kidney stress.

• Fermented Chickpeas release peptides like: Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) —::> also found in fermented dairy but can emerge from legumes through bacterial proteolysis.

4. Increased Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

• Fermentation produces bioactive phenolic compounds, increasing antioxidant capacity.

• Lactobacillus-fermented chickpeas have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in cell models [possibly due to phenolics and peptide metabolites]

5. Support for Gut Health & Prebiotic Activity

• Fermented chickpeas act as synbiotics (probiotics + prebiotics):

  • The Lactobacillus strains provide probiotic support.

  • The resistant starches and fibers in garbanzos serve as prebiotics, promoting growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria.

• This synergistic effect can enhance gut barrier function, SCFA production, and immune modulation.

6. Reduced Allergenicity and Toxic Compounds

Fermentation can reduce allergenic proteins and may help degrade lectins and saponins, making chickpeas safer and better tolerated.

• In some cases, fermented chickpeas have lower levels of biogenic amines [these can be problematic in food-sensitive folks ].

🥗BACK TO MY KIDNEY KITCHEN🥗

FIRST - find a reliable source of organic garbanzo flour.

While garbanzos are not generally GMO treated like soybeans, glyphosate is sometimes applied shortly before harvest to dry out the plants uniformly (a process called chemical desiccation). This

may affect gut microbiota, mitochondrial function, and mineral chelation, which could potentially be worrisome in CKD, where the gut–kidney axis and oxidative stress are already disrupted. RENOLOGY embraces organic food for the safety.

RECIPE

1 cup garbanzo flour placed in a a quart wide mouth ball jar

1.25 cups water added in and stirred well with an immersion blender

Cover and leave out overnight to allow natural fermentation to occur- then place in the refrigerator covered

To Cook::

🥗Flat iron griddle is placed to pre heat safely on a burner at medium heat

🥗 Gather the batter, a spatula, olive oil, ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil, a pot holder. a cloth or paper towel to spread oil on the pan, and a cotton towel folded to place cooked crepes in

🥗Stir the batter well to get lumps out

🥗 Pour a small amount of oil on the pan and use the paper towel or cloth to spread it evenly (repeat for each crepe made)

🥗Now pour the batter in the center ( I like to pick up the pan and spread the batter out by moving the pan around - it’s a “feel” you’ll get used to) and then let it start cooking - it will bubble up - the art of making these is knowing when to flip without injuring it. Gently use the spatula to raise up the edges until the whole crepe comes up easily - turn it and watch it begin to bubble.

🥗 My strategy is frequent turning to keep it from burning while allowing it to cook fully - easier to digest when it’s fully cooked. It’s exciting to see it bubble up and puff up with air inside ( I lightly press the bubbles to encourage it to puff up fully)

🥗 it’s done when it bubbles up nicely and dries out enough to remove from the heat and place in the folded to towel ( keeps it warm and soft and moist)

THAT’S IT!!

So simple and delicious !!

We use this to replace the carb load of bread or pasta with our meals.

🔬Nutritional Breakdown 🔬

Nutrient Amount

Calories ~53 kcal

Protein. ~2.6 g

Carbohydrates ~8 g [fiber 1.4 g]

Fat. ~0.8 g

Iron ~0.9 mg (5% DV)

Folate ~53 mcg (13% DV)

Magnesium ~18 mg

Phosphorus ~44 mg

Potassium. ~110 mg

Now comes the creativity.

🥞You can add herbs and spices to the batter.

🥞You can wrap these like a burrito around beans, veggies, salad. I long it with tofu or cashew cheese.

🥞You can use like a chapati to pick up the food on your plate. Sauces are a way to make these even better!

🥞 You can put stewed fruit in these and create desserts.

MOST IMPORTANT is having fun coming up with delicious kidney friendly foods and eating them with joy.

Bon appetite🎏

[Referenced from personal experience, chat gpt, and years of studying fermented food benefits in ckd.

Keep exploring! ]