Pancakes

Now show me someone who doesn't love a warm, mildly sweet and fluffy pancake! Don't we all love pancakes and especially those of us who have a sweet tooth? :-)

This is an American version of pancake, a round and fluffy cake made instantly on a non-stick griddle by spreading a batter made with eggs, flour, sugar, and some raising agent. The British crepe is a slightly thinner version of pancakes.

In India we make pancakes that aren't sweet such as the South India Dosa and Uttapam, the Punjabi besan ka puda. The sweet varieties are malpua and meetha puda. The sweet pancakes in India are mostly sweetened by gud or jaggery whereas the salty or spicy pancakes are made from either rice flour or chickpea flour.

At times when I am running late or not in a mood to chop veggies, these pancakes come to my rescue and wiped off by husband and Little M within minutes. These pancakes are mildly sweet and can be put on the table within 15 minutes. These are excellent to pack for the school or office and the batter can be made the night before and stored in the fridge for finishing up the early morning dabba packing in under 5 minutes.

You can also add fruits like blueberries, bananas by chopping or mashing it into the batter. Many varieties are available on the internet. This recipe that I share here is inspired by this one with a few tweaks here and there.

What more can a mom ask for on a lazy Sunday morning? Sunday is the first working day for us here in the UAE when schools and offices resume after the weekend break. Weekend in the UAE means Friday and Saturday. :-)

Little M loves helping me stirring up the batter and cracking the egg. Of course we have many spills!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp butter, melted (optional)

1 tbsp oil

Makes: 8 pancakes

Prepping time: 5-7 min

Cooking time: 5-7 min

Method:

1) Take a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

2) Using a kadchi or service spoon make a well in the center.

3) Pour in the milk and then the beaten egg and melted butter. Mix until smooth. There should be no lumps.

4) Heat a lightly oiled non-stick tawa or griddle. Pour the batter on it using a round-deep kadchi or service spoon, using approx. 1/4 cup for each pancake.

5) When you start seeing tiny holes on the upper side being formed turn the pancake on the other side. Brown on both sides. Serve hot and drizzle lots of honey on them for a natural sweet taste.

The teddy-face shape below can be made easily by pouring one kadchi of the batter in the middle and then two spoons on the top on each side for the ears. Use blue berries or grapes to make eyes and surprise your kids with a cute bear-shaped pancake! :-)

The heart and flower shapes were cut out by Little M using cookie cutters! 

This is how I prepare my plate of pancakes, with fresh fruits from my fridge, accompanied by dry fruits and nuts bathed in honey!

How do you like your pancakes? 

Do you prefer making the Indian pancakes such as Dosa, besan puda or malpua? If yes, the please do share your recipe with me in the comments section!

Do share your thoughts with me on this simple breakfast made yummy in a jiffy. I would love to read what you think. :-)

Thank you so much for reading!