When people begin an Ayurvedic lifestyle and see the positive effects of cooking meals at home, the questions they ask most are what to eat for breakfast and what to take for lunch on the go. This month, we have a recipe that fills both needs: savory pancakes.
Most people think of pancakes as a sweet dish (we have a recipe for that, too), but adding savory spices balances the natural sweetness of the wheat and aids digestion. By adding vegetables to the batter, you have a creative and unexpected way to eat a familiar food.
These pancakes make a wonderful warm breakfast or can serve as the augmenting portion of lunch or dinner. Try them with a light soup or serve them with split mung beans and sautéed kale.
Pancakes travel well, making them a great meal to go or a tasty addition to your child’s lunchbox. Just be sure to round out the meal with an extractive vegetable (sautéed greens or broccoli make a nice addition – you can even add them to the pancakes with the carrots) and the legume of your choice.
Savory pancakes
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Augmenting
You'll need
3 cups wheat flour (substitute half barley or brown rice flour for half the wheat if desired)
3/4 tsp. mineral salt
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
2 Tbsp. ghee
2 cups water or herbal tea (more if needed)
1 cup shredded carrots
Here's how
Mix the flour, salt and spices well, then fold in the ghee (if you live in a cold climate, melt the ghee first). Add the water slowly and stir until it forms a thick batter.
Heat a frying pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon ghee. Using a soup ladle or a large spoon, pour the batter into the pan to create the size pancakes you want. Add the shredded carrots to the center of the pancakes right away. Flip the pancakes when they start to bubble, adding a small amount of ghee as needed, and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side.
Visit our Ayurveda Lifestyle page for kitchen essentials