HungryForever

SPICY PANCAKES

These spicy pancakes are traditionally served for breakfast in India. I know some people might balk at so much spice for breakfast, but they are strangely addictive. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have them for lunch or supper instead, washed down with beer instead of chai.

Servings

Ingredients

1–2tsp Cumin seeds
olive oil
½–1 green chileseeded and finely chopped, to taste
2 garlic clovespeeled and thinly sliced
1-inch piece of fresh gingerpeeled and finely chopped or grated
1cup all purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1cup whole milkplus an extra 1–2 Tbsp

FOR THE SPICED POTATO FILLING

olive oil
1tsp black mustard seeds
½ onionpeeled and thinly sliced
½tsp ground turmeric
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 coldpeeled boiled potatoes, roughly chopped

TO SERVE

Instructions

Toast the cumin seeds with a pinch of salt in a dry, medium-hot pan for about 1 minute until aromatic. Add a dash of oil and sauté the chile, garlic, and ginger for an additional 2 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat.
Put the spice/garlic mixture into a bowl. Sift in the flour, season with salt and pepper, and make a well in the middle, then break in the egg and add half of the milk. Whisk the flour into the egg slowly until well incorporated, then gradually add the remaining milk. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and has the consistency of heavy cream. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of oil and leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the spiced potato filling. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the mustard seeds, and cook for 1–2 minutes until the seeds begin to pop. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and golden brown. Stir in the turmeric and cooked potatoes and season with salt and pepper, adding a dash of olive oil if necessary to aid cooking. Cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until softened and heated through. Set aside while you cook the pancakes.
Heat a large, wide frying pan, then add a little oil. If the batter has thickened too much, add a tablespoon or two of milk. Pour in a generous ¼ cup of batter and tilt the pan to spread the batter out. Cook for about a minute on one side until golden and crisp, then flip the pancake and continue to cook for another minute until cooked through. Keep warm while repeating with the remaining batter.
Mix the yogurt and cilantro together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place a large spoonful of the potato filling in the middle of each pancake, adding a dollop of the yogurt, then roll up into a sausage shape.