These plant-based, gluten-free gems of nutrition that I call vegetable pancakes are popularly called ‘cheela or chilla’ in my country and serve as a popular breakfast item. Delicious and filling as they are, I have tried to make these go a little further with the addition of soaked mung beans that not only add to the fibre but also up the protein and they needn’t only be eaten as breakfast. I often bulk these babies up as I have done here with plenty of veg to make it a lot more filling and wholesome as proper lunch. These are quick, easy and most certainly something different to break from the same old.
The stars of the show are chickpea flour which makes the base of this pancake, thus making it gluten-free and mung beans that work great if they are sprouted. Soaked overnight also work which is what I have here.
In a bowl add the flour with the spices and some chopped coriander. Pour in water and whisk to a smooth batter.
Mix well and ensure no lumps are formed. The batter should be of pouring consistency. Cover and leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes. This rest period is absolutely necessary for not only the flavours to absorb better but also for the chickpeas flour to absorb water and swell. If the batter thickens after the rest period, add more water to bring it back to pouring consistency.
Add a couple teaspoons of oil to a hot pan and using a clean kitchen towel or paper spread around the pan. This will evenly coat the surface of the pan with oil while absorbing the excess. Ladle some batter on the pan. Make sure the pan isn’t too hot.
Spread the batter in circular motions using the back of the ladle.
while the batter is still wet on the top add in the chopped vegetables and mung beans. Gently press into the batter to ensure they stick. Keep the heat on medium low.
Spread some oil on the edges of the cooking batter to ensure that it doesn’t stick.
Slide a spatula along the sides to check the doneness of the pancakes. I like them a little crisp. These can either be flipped or folded.
I prefer to fold them.
Serve hot with your favourite chutney or dips.
Recipe ingredients Chickpeas flour(besan)- 200gms Cumin powder- 2 tsp Red chilli flakes- 1 tsp Coriander powder- 1 tsp Dried mango powder- 1 tsp Asafetida- a pinch Salt to taste Water as needed Oil Chopped vegetables of choice Sprouted Mung beans- 100 gms
Recipe instructions
In a clean bowl mix together the flour with spices, salt and enough water to make a pourable batter. Add some chopped coriander (optional) and whisk together to form a smooth batter with no lumps.
Cover the batter and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
Heat a pan on medium-low heat and spread some oil using a kitchen towel or paper to evenly coat the surface of the pan. Spread about half a ladleful of batter using the back of the ladle in an even circle.
Top the pancake with vegetables and mung beans and let it cook for a few minutes. Spread some oil around the edges of the pancake to ensure it doesn’t stick.
Using a spatula, lift the edges of the pancake to check for doneness and fold once cooked to liking. Serve hot.
Note*- the first couple pancakes might stick to the pan but the rest will not once you get the flow of it. Don’t let the pan get too hot or the pancakes will not evenly spread.
When you get tired of your daily egg and bread breakfast and wish to twist it into a spectacular bronzed meal of cheesy topping, you make these babies; that in reality are nothing more than your daily fare of omelette and bread, all jeujed up into spicy fragments of burnished toasts. Not only do they take away from the mundanity of an everyday same ol’ breakfast but also kick it up a notch with flavours that feel just right for the most important meal of the day.
As days get colder I get lazier. leaving the comfy confines of a chair that’s been warming under you simply to make breakfast feels a bit treacherous, but we gotta eat and breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
You can of course change any of these ingredients according to whatever your fridge spring or local fruit market sustains. All fruits, any kinds are welcome, and these are what I put in. A mushed up half of an avocado, pineapple, banana and frozen grapes.
Most beguiling, calling this a bread, when in essence, it actually is a cake. I guess it’s probably called a bread because it’s baked in a loaf tin. Ah, well.. ‘a rose by any other name’ and all that jazz. So indeed, this rather bashful, withdrawn looking cake/bread is exactly that. An air of polite modesty about its person, this cake doesn’t pretend to be a showstopper, or a stunner, gracing the high tables of a luxurious dinner party.
The ingredients are simple enough. mashed bananas, brown sugar, coconut oil, soy milk, eggs, wholewheat flour, vanilla, ground spices and nuts.
and Voila!!
Enjoy
There’s no reason to call this an ‘awesome breakfast sandwich’ when this can be as easily called an ‘awesome brunch sandwich’, and does in fact serve as a fantastic brunch idea. It’s fast, filling and satisfying. Monstrously heaped with all things good, it’s indulgent, comforting and a fantastic fuel for moments when your body craves a morning laden with carbs and greasy crisp bacon.
if you were to edit bacon out of this picture, you’d have the ingredients for a a very veggie sandwich. There’s also mustard and mayonnaise but they’re working behind the scenes.
The ingredints do look like a lot to take in but they can be as many or as few as you want. For the flavour base-chopped garlic, ginger and white part of spring onions. For the sauce-soy sauce+oyster sauce+black pepper+sugar. Vegetables -lettuce, mushrooms, carrots. Cooked noodles of your choice, prawns (optional), egg. For garnishing-coriander leaves and green part of spring onions.
First, lets just scramble that egg in a bit of oil and set aside.
Once that’s done..heat some more oil in a pan on medium high heat.
and add in the chopped garlic, ginger and white part of the spring onion
stir it around a bit till its fabulously fragrant, but not brown.
in with the prawns and stir them around for a minute
add in the carrots and mushrooms and saute for another minute
and finally in with the lettuce. They’ll wilt in seconds
add in a bit of salt (not pictured) and stir it around till the lettuce wilts and the vegetables are nicely coated with fragrant oil.
add in the sauce mixture
and stir around a few seconds until all’s coated with these lovely salty sweet juices
finally, tip in the noodles. I’m using potato noodles and stir them around
That’s it, nearly done. Top with chopped greens of the green onion and coriander.
oh and don’t forget to add in the scrambled eggs.
Voila. Breakfast noodles!
That’s right my darlings..doughnuts for breakfast, except these are actually French toasts masquerading as doughnuts..but do you care? They’re hot, coated thickly with cinnamon sugar and doused with your favourite toppings to make one heck of a breakfast meal.
Eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, sugar and bread. That’s it. High rewards for such few ingredients.
This step doesn’t apply to those who live in a world of pre sliced breads. I used a stale baguette, and it does help a lot if you’ve a stale bread lying about the house dying to be used up.
Crack in the eggs and add milk
vanilla
and salt
mix, smear, whisk, besmirch the calm
and proceed to making the sugary coating with sugar
and cinnamon
and lo! cinnamon sugar. Alchemy I tell you.
melt a fat knob of butter in your pan over medium heat
and dunk the bread in eggy pool of golden promises.Let it stay in there for at least half a minute. It’ll start drinking in the eggs.
Turn them over to let the other side soak up the sun.
and whoa! all the egg’s been absorbed by these little babies
the butter should be nicely frothing
transfer the eggy toast to the pan to cook to a nice golden tan.
just a couple minutes
Mmm..golden and gorgeous.
once these are cooked on both sides, let them cool for a few seconds before transferring them or rather slathering them with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Coat all sides, roll them into the sugar if you have to. Be barbaric about it.
et voilà..we have doughnut french toast. These are fantastic to eat just as they are, but if you want to add a bit of luxury to the richness then please do not restrain yourself as you go totally berserk.
bathe it with chocolate syrup
cloak it with your favourite fruit jam/marmalade or preserve
or how about chunks of banana drowned in maple syrup?
Driedredchillies 