Pancakes shouldn’t just be for Shrove Tuesday. Here’s some savoury and sweet alternatives to try out over the weekend if you’ve got a little more time on your hands.
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes with Maple Syrup
Ingredients:
These quantities make a large batch. Reduce ingredients by 1/2 if you’re only make for a few people. Although you can freeze them.
- 350g Self raising flour
- 200mls buttermilk (use 100mls yoghurt and 100mls milk if you don’t have buttermilk)
- 400mls milk
- 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 eggs
- 85g melted unsalted butter. You’ll need a little more for frying
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2tbs caster sugar
- Blueberries (raisins, sultanas or other chopped dried fruit also work well.
Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk or yoghurt (you can try making your own probiotic yogurt here), milk, eggs and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine.
Heat oil or butter in a pan. Wipe off the excess. Cook in small batches. Fry for a minute on one side and drop a few blueberries on top.
Cover with a little more batter. Flip to the other side and fry for a few more minutes. Serve with maple syrup, an extra dollop of yoghurt and blueberries, toasted, chopped nuts….anything you fancy really.
Buckwheat Sourdough Pancakes
These gluten-free pancakes are great for a savoury brunch. The sourdough and yoghurt give a lovely sour taste to the pancakes Prep the batter the night before to use the next day.
Ingredients:
- 150g buckwheat flour
- 300mls Kefir or buttermilk. You can you 150mls milk and 150mls yoghurt if you prefer.
- 150mls sourdough starter (add milk if you don’t have sourdough starter)
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/tsp salt
- 1tsp bicarbonate of soda (if you’re not using sourdough starter)
- Butter or oil for frying
Vegan alternative:
Use 350mls sourdough starter and 100mls plant based milk or 250mls non-dairy yoghurt and 200mls plant based milk. No eggs. The batter will be lighter but still very tasty.
Combine flour, yoghurt (or other) and sourdough starter. Cover and soak overnight. In the morning beat the eggs add salt (and Bicarbonate of soda if you’re not using sourdough starter). Gently combine eggs and fermented dough mixture.
Fry in small batches for a few minutes on each side.
Here I’ve served them with sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes and cumin. Add goats cheese if you fancy and a drizzle of oil or truffle oil for an extra little indulgence.
Autumn Sweetly Spiced Buttermilk Pancakes
For Autumn, these pancakes are spiced with sweet, warming spices. Served warm with maple syrup and and spiced apple sauce or fruit jam, they are the perfect Vata balancing breakfast.
Ingredients:
Serves 6
- 175g Self raising flour
- 100mls buttermilk (use 50mls yoghurt and 50mls milk if you don’t have buttermilk)
- 200mls milk
- 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 large egg
- 40g melted unsalted butter. You’ll need a little more for frying
- 1/2tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp
- Pinch salt
- 2tbs light brown sugarThe how to:Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar and spices in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk or yoghurt, milk, eggs and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine. Heat oil or butter in a pan. Wipe off the excess. Cook in small batchesWhy it’s so goodSweet warming spices are perfect for Vata balancing. These pancakes also give Pitta the perfect carb boost to start the day.
Kapha dosha, have these occasionally.
Serve warm with maple syrup and apple sauce or other fruit compote.