Pancakes

It's time to make some Pancakes! Yes, today I am going to share the recipe for making yummy delicious soft Pancakes. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite American breakfasts and my stand mixer makes the batter in literally two minutes. 

We have our own version of Pancakes in India which we call Cheela or Dosa. The only difference is, Pancakes are sweet, soft and thick whereas a Cheela/ Dosa is always savory, crisp and thin. We often pair the Cheela/ Dosa with a chutney or soup (Sambar) whereas Pancakes go very well with some scrambled eggs, fruits and coffee/ juice. Another difference which will be interesting to point here is, we do not use eggs while preparing Cheela/ Dosa which does not apply on Pancakes.

Talking of eggs, I always prefer to bring the eggs and butter to the room temperature before adding them in any batter or dough. This makes them easier to mix with the other ingredients. I also like multitasking while making Pancakes so I keep working on the side dishes (scrambled eggs, fruits) and beverages while the Pancakes are happily cooking on the skillet. 

Although you can easily find a ready made Pancake mix from any grocery shop, making this from scratch is really easy. Of course having a mixer helps in making the batter easily and quickly but I have prepared this many times using just the whisk and since the batter is really thin, it mixes easily and quickly. 

The amount of the ingredients given in this recipe will serve two people, so if you are making for more, I would suggest to write down the new amounts of ingredients on a rough draft just to avoid any confusion.

I think Pancakes are a cool substitute for breads and since they are sweet kids love them. Here’s an idea, keep the kids busy while you are serving others by asking them to decorate their Pancakes with fruits, cool whip or chocolate chips. This can be a cute little fun activity which everyone will enjoy and since the kids will be devoting so much time in decorating their Pancakes they will surely eat their fruits. Mission accomplished for the mommies!

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour – ½ and ¼ cups
• Sugar – 1 ½ tablespoons
• Baking Powder – ½ tablespoon
• Salt – a pinch
• Egg - 1 Large (at room temperature)
• Milk – ½ cup and 2 tablespoons (at room temperature)
• Vanilla Extract – ¼ teaspoon
• Unsalted Butter – 1 ½ tablespoons + about 2 tablespoons for greasing the skillet (at room temperature)

Directions:

• In a large bowl, sift and whisk together the All Purpose Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt.
• In another bowl, beat the Egg and then whisk in the Milk and Vanilla.
• Melt the Butter in the skillet over medium heat (you may turn off the heat).
• Whisk the Butter into the Milk mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until a thick batter forms.
• Heat the skillet (over medium heat), add a little butter and using a spatula spread it on the skillet.
• Using a ladle or a small measuring cup (¼ or 1/3 cup size), drop the batter on the skillet to make a Pancake. 
• After about a minute you will start seeing bubbles breaking the surface of the Pancake. Lift a side carefully with the spatula, the underside will be golden brown.
• Flip with a flat spatula and cook for another minute.
• Serve immediately or transfer to a platter lined with a paper towel. You can cover it loosely with a foil to keep it warm. 
• Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter, adding about a teaspoon of butter to the skillet between batches.
• Serve with maple syrup, fresh fruits and scrambled eggs.   

Tips:

• Use a non stick skillet to prepare the Pancakes.
• Use two skillets to cook Pancakes at the same time.
• Keeping the butter and egg about half an hour outside the fridge is enough to bring them at room temperature. For milk, 15 minutes should be good.

Pancakes for brunch with Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and French fries.

 

Recommended Reading:

• Masala Oatmeal (Oatmeal with Indian spices)
• Sweet French Toast (American recipe)
• Savory Crispy French Toasts (Indian Recipe)
• Mamma’s Alu Sandwiches (Indian style Potato and Cheese Sandwiches)
• Egg in a Hole – Add Fun to Your Breakfast
• Grilled Cheese
• Scrambled Eggs with Spinach
• Vegetarian Poha Style Chow Mein/ Pasta