Make them in:

• 20 minutes flat
• Without eggs
• Minus dairy
• Using store-cupboard ingredients

How to make Soy Sauce Caramel

This syrup is tastes so delicious, you’ll be tempted to lick it right off the spoon. I love warming it and pouring it over these pancakes but it could also be used as a dip for veggie fritters or drizzled over roast potatoes.

The soy sauce caramel is made in an instant simply using agave and light soy sauce. You could also use maple syrup or golden syrup if you prefer.

Can I make these as canapés?

Absolutely! I’ve made pancake minis and using this recipe topped them with whipped vegan cream cheese and crispy mushrooms as an easy starter or canapé.

What makes the Chilli-Corn Pancakes with Soy Sauce Caramel so fluffy?

In the absence of eggs and dairy, the leavening agents (baking powder and baking soda) play an important role in helping these pancakes rise.

Some important things to remember:

• Don’t overmix the batter as this will develop gluten in the flour too much, causing the pancakes to be heavy.
• Allow the batter to rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking.

What corn should I use for corn pancakes?

I find that tinned (canned) sweetcorn is the most practical because I always have some stashed away in the cupboard. However, fresh, in-season corn (cooked) will be delicious. I’m not a huge fan of frozen corn simply because I’ve never found a brand I like but feel free to use frozen (and thawed) if you have that preference.

Can I freeze these Chilli-Corn Pancakes?

Yes. In fact, they freeze very well. Simply layer the cooked pancakes with small squares of baking parchment in between each piece and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw completely before reheating in a frying pan as before. You may want to cook them in a some extra vegan butter.

I like to make a big batch of these pancakes and freeze them for easy kid-friendly breakfasts. They’re great for the morning rush!

How do I adapt this recipe for kids?

Bodhi adores anything with corn and I make these for him often. For his portion, I leave out the chilli and added salt. He likes them with black pepper but if your little one is sensitive to spice, you can leave it out.

Finally, I am a parent who allows small amounts of sugar so I serve his pancakes with a little drizzle of syrup. Having said this, you can of course choose not to offer it. I cut them into finger-length strips for him (he’s 16 months old) but they usually end up in pieces by the time he gets stuck in. He is also loving this Creamy Saffron Vegetable Pasta at the moment!

Ingredients you need to make Chilli-Corn Pancakes with Soy Sauce Caramel

• Plain flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Vegan butter
• Unsweetened soy milk (or your favourite unsweetened plant milk)
• Tinned sweetcorn
• Green chillies
• Agave
• Light soy sauce

Step-by-Step: How to make Chilli-Corn Pancakes with Soy Sauce Caramel

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Chilli-Corn Pancakes with Soy Sauce Caramel

This fluffy stack of pancakes is an Asian-inspired umami flavour bomb! Drizzle with warm soy sauce-spiked “caramel” and dig your fork in to the puffy-centred/crispy-edged beauties.

Course Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine American, Asian

Keyword eggless, pancakes, soy sauce, sweetcorn, vegan

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the pancakes:

• 200 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp melted vegan butter
• 125 ml soy milk or your favourite unsweetened plant milk
• 50 g tinned sweetcorn
• 1-2 hot green chillies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegan butter to grease the pan

For the soy sauce caramel:

• 80 ml agave
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan butter

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and black pepper. Whisk in the melted vegan butter and warm water, about a minute until no lumps remain.
• Fold in the sweetcorn and chopped chillies. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Combine the agave, soy sauce and vegan butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Warm on high power for 20 seconds. Stir well and set aside.
• Grease a large non-stick frying pan with vegan butter and warm it over a medium-low heat. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to dollop the batter into the pan, leaving room between each pancake.
• Cook for 2 minutes until small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and the tops begin to dry out slightly. Flip and cook the other side for 90 seconds.
• Stack on a plate and cook the remaining pancakes. Top with more vegan butter and the soy sauce caramel.

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P.S. Shop my favourite food products on my new Amazon store!

Love Sanjana

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Aquafaba, or chickpea brine is the magical egg white alternative rocking the vegan food world. From Vegan Macarons, to Pavlova, Meringue Nests, Meringue Kisses and even vegan cheese, the discovery of aquafaba by Goose Wohlt opens up a whole lot of possibilities for eating the foods you love and sticking to a vegan diet.

As many of you already know, I love playing around with this ingredient, conjuring up my own takes on dishes I adore, and all the while veganizing them for my family, friends and you fantastic people.

My favourite Sunday morning ritual when I have friends or family over is to start on a big batch of pancakes while everyone’s still asleep. Not only does it make the entire house smell like the inside of a bakery that just had a massive vanilla cake eruption, it also ensures I get a huge smile and hug from everyone when they come downstairs. And I love a good cuddle, me.

With the pears, these pancakes become extra special. The light, fluffy, crispy pancakes soak up all that vanilla and cardamom-spiced syrup like little sponge frisbees you’ll want to play with all day long. The pears offer a very welcome fresh, tender, and juicy texture that’s perfect for balancing out the fluffy richness of the pancakes.

This is my basic vegan aquafaba pancake recipe for sweet pancakes. If poached pears aren’t your thing, you could add blueberries, raspberries or chocolate chips (pop them on top of each scoop of pancake batter before the pancake has a chance to cook through on the pan).

A photo posted by SANJANA • K.O RASOI (@sanjanamodha) on Aug 20, 2016 at 4:18am PDT

I’ve even adapted this recipe (skipped the sugar and vanilla) to make savoury pancakes with chillies, vegan cheese and corn. Weirdly, I like to top those with a drizzle of golden syrup, too. If you have a soft spot for sweet and salty combinations, I recommend it!

Fluffy Vegan Aquafaba Pancakes with Vanilla-Cardamom Poached Pears
Serves 4

For the vegan aquafaba pancakes:
275g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp fine salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
325ml almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml water from a can of chickpeas
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp groundnut oil, plus extra for the pan

For the pears:
4 Williams pears, slightly underripe
600ml water
200g golden syrup
100g golden caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and scraped
6 whole cardamom pods, roughly crushed (leave the pod on)

Method

1. To make the poached pears: Place the sugar, golden syrup and water in a deep saucepan. Bring to the boil and add the cardamom pods and vanilla bean paste.

2. Peel the pears, keeping the stalk attached and slice them down the middle. Remove the pear cores.

3. Place the pears in the saucepan and ensure they’re completely submerged. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the pears to cool completely in the syrup.

4. Once the pears have had a chance to cool completely, remove them from the syrup and bring the syrup back to the boil. Allow to simmer until it has reduced by half and is sticky and syrupy.

5. To make the vegan aquafaba pancakes: Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

6. Mix together the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, vanilla, and groundnut oil. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes and then whisk briefly.

7. In a large, clean bowl of a stand mixer, whip the chickpea liquid until stiff peaks form. You could also use an electric beater.

8. Add the wet almond milk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. It’s important not to over mix this.

9. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped chickpea meringue into the batter until you have a light, foamy batter. Try your best not to deflate the mixture by mixing too much.

10. Heat up a large non-stick pan greased with groundnut oil. You want a low-medium heat. Not too high or the pancakes will burn before they get a chance to cook through.

11. Use an ice cream scoop to dollop the pancake batter on to the pan so that you get even-sized pancakes. Ensure you leave some space around each pancake as the mixture will spread slightly.

12. Allow to cook until small bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake and the edges lose their raw shine, about 40 seconds.

13. Flip and cook briefly on the other side. Remove from the heat. Repeat to make the rest of the pancakes.

Serve with the poached pears and pour the extra syrup into a jug for drizzling over the pancakes like glorious waterfall. Dive in quickly and with purpose.

What are your favourite pancake add-ins and toppings? Let me know in the comments below and let’s see if we can re-create some of them here.

Love Sanjana

The post Fluffy Vegan Aquafaba Pancakes with Vanilla-Cardamom Poached Pears appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

I’m yet to meet a person who doesn’t love masala dosas. A light, healthy meal full of nutrients and flavour, dosas are widely popular on restaurant menus and in roadside cafés.

Ever since I was a little girl I have always associated these crispy rolls of spicy potato with family outings to a nearby vegetarian restaurant which serves ‘monster dosas’. If you hadn’t already guessed, these are gigantic versions of the South Indian speciality. When I say gigantic I’m talking over a ft long.

We didn’t always go out to eat moster dosas, sometimes we were treated to the special type of masala dosas – homemade ones.

On strained tiptoes, I used to peek over the stove top to watch my mother swirl the thinnest sheet of batter you’ve ever laid eyes on, as glorious mix of anxiety and hunger slowly took over my pot belly. As soon as I saw the faintest tinge of golden brown through the pancake, I’d run to pick up one of our very Indian Pyrex plates from Popat Stores in Wembley and return to collect my reward for waiting so patiently.

She would spread a layer of my father’s speciality coconut chutney on top of the rice and lentil pancake, then a tumble of spicy lemon potatoes, and slowly roll it up ready to slide onto the plate gripped with restless hands. A drizzle of chutney on top and I was ready to sink my teeth into a harmonious medley of textures and flavours.

Now, I could go all fancy-schmancy by making monster dosa for you to stun your guests into thinking you’re a domestic god/goddess – but I won’t.

1. Because I’m not a pro dosa spreader.
2. Because mini is always cuter and more convenient.

I’m good at applying justifications to my weaknesses. If you are amazing at batter-spreading please go ahead and make giant ones – they will taste great. The key is to get the filling and the chutney perfect. Always remember to add plenty of lemon, salt and sugar – they make a big difference.

After stacks of experimentation, I found that if you’re a novice and want to spread thin dosa, use a cold pan wiped with sunflower oil. The downside to this is that the colouring of the pancake is not as even as it would be if you used a hot pan.

If you’re feeling brave, try using a hot pan but ensure you spread very quickly and very evenly. Easier said than done – I know. With time the technique becomes much simpler to perfect. Here are 10 top tips:

1. Always use a flat, non-stick pan with no ridges.
2. Use half an onion, pierced onto the end of a fork to rub oil into your pan. It flavours your pancake and stops it from sticking.
3. Pour your batter into the middle of the pan with a ladle, making concentric circles outwards to spread thinly and evenly.
4. Using a cold pan? Leave the heat on high to warm up your pancake quickly. This may alter the colouring of the dosas.
5. Using a hot pan? (Good for you!) Spread quickly, evenly and as thinly as possible over a medium heat.
6. If your dosa are thicker than you’d like, try to spread them more thinly whilst on the heat, flattening as much as you can.
7. When the top of the pancake dries out, spread it with some oil using the back of a spoon to stop it drying out completely. You could then place a lid over the top of the pan if you wanted to.
8. When you start to see golden brown specks under the pancake, gently use a spatula to loosen the edges from underneath, ensuring it doesn’t break.
9. When golden, flip and cook the dosa for 5-10 seconds on the other side. Flip back and spread the uncoloured side with chutney, add filling and roll.
10. Keep remaining batter in the fridge for up to a week. You can use this to make uttapam (thick dosa with added vegetables – no need to roll).

Mini Masala Dosa

Ingredients for the batter:

200g uncooked rice
100g urad dal (split and husked black gram)
50g channa dal (split husked Bengal gram)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 small pinch bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp asafoetida
Salt to taste

You will also need:

½ an onion pierced through the top with a fork
Around 100ml sunflower oil

For the potato filling:

800g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
150g onions, roughly chopped into cubes (optional)
2 large, hot green chillies, minced (or to taste)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp ginger, minced
50ml lemon juice
1 ½ tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp sugar
8-10 curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp asafoetida (optional)
Handful of chopped coriander

For the coconut and coriander chutney:

5 large hot green chillies
1 small clove garlic
1 tsp ginger
80g coriander, including stalks
100g desiccated coconut
100ml coconut milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil
40ml lemon juice
2 ½ tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
120g Greek yogurt

Method

For the potato filling:

1. Boil the potatoes in plenty of hot, salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop, then add the asafoetida, curry leaves, onions, chillies, turmeric and ginger. Allow to cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the salt, sugar, lemon, and potatoes. Toss together and add the chopped coriander.

For the coriander chutney:

1. In a large bowl, soak the coconut in the coconut milk and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, blend together all other ingredients except the yogurt using a food processor or a pestle and mortar if you’re feeling energetic or have stress to relieve.

3. Mix the blended ingredients with the soaked coconut and yogurt mixture.

For the batter:

1. Mix together the rice, urad dal, channa dal and fenugreek seeds and wash 5-6 times in cold water.

2. Place them in a large bowl and cover with warm water overnight or for at least 5 to 6 hours.

3. After the soaking period discard the soaking water, reserving about 500ml.

4. Place the soaked rice, dals and methi seeds in a blender/grinder, and blend to a thick paste. The consistency of the batter should be just so that it covers the back of a spoon. Add a little bit of the reserved soaking water to help with the blending/grinding process. Blend/grind the batter to a degree where it’s grainy – this is what’s going to make your dosas crispy.

5. Place the dosa batter in an extra large bowl, and put the bowl on top of a tray to catch the batter the fermentation becomes too aggressive. Cover loosely and ferment overnight.

6. The next day, add salt, asafoetida and bicarbonate of soda, whisk lightly. It is important to add salt at this stage and NOT before as salt retards the fermentation process.

I created the slideshow below to illustrate the dosa making process. To see it in all its glory press play, hover over the slideshow and click the bottom right button to enlarge to fullscreen mode. Then click the top right ‘show info’ button to see my commentary.

You could also serve this with a finely diced salad of tomatoes, spring onions, coriander, a dash of lemon, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of cumin powder, and some salt. If you want to go authentically South Indian, top it of with a ladle-full of sambhar (a thick daal with vegetables). The dosa pancake is just a carrier for an array of fillings you cook up. We often fill them with lentils, vegetables and paneer, then serve with a variety of chutneys.

I don’t know about you but I could eat masala dosa for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My family love to have masala dosa parties where we invite all 50-70 family members over to dig in to dosas – yeah, I have a huge, loud and hungry family. These mini dosas are perfect for such occasions so why not try these and invite your family and friends over? Just don’t forget my invite.

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It’s Pancake Day this Tuesday 8th March which funnily enough, automatically makes it acceptable for us to stuff our faces with stacks of syrup-drenched pancakes. I’m never one to argue when it comes to traditions like these.

These sweet/savoury pancakes are made with fine cornmeal and juicy kernels of sweetcorn and no eggs whatsoever. Instead, I used baking soda as a raising agent, which makes the pancakes light, fluffy and perfect for brunch. Don’t you just love waking up to the smell of warm pancakes on a duvet day?

I really love sweet and savoury flavours together, although I don’t often play around with dishes to create them. I also added mature cheddar cheese to these because I like to live on the wild side, but you could add chopped spring onions, or both for that matter.

Eggless Polenta and Sweetcorn Pancakes
(makes 8-10)

Ingredients

120g fine cornmeal
30g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp oil
3 tbsp sour cream
140g sweetcorn
140g mature cheddar cheese, grated
½ tsp salt
Pinch ground white pepper
Approx 250ml water or enough to make a thick batter similar to cake batter

Extra oil to grease your pan
Maple syrup and butter to serve

Method

1. In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour and bicarbonate of soda. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine thoroughly.

2. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.

3. Grease a wide, non-stick pan and place on a low heat. Allow 2 tbsp of batter for each pancake, slightly flattening as you spread onto the pan.

4. Cook on a med/low heat until small bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancake, flip and cook on then other side. Keep in a warm place while you repeat the same process for the remaining batter. Serve in a stack, drizzle with maple syrup and a pat of butter.

Are you a syrup kind of person? Or do you prefer a spritz of lemon juice and a dusting of sugar? I need to know all about your pancake habits so as to progress my own – and because I’m a pancake fiend.

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