It’s already December, it means our year will be coming to an end soon. To make our year meaningful and happy, we have been trying to do a lot of new and interesting stuff. Such as we have been rewarding us with good meals, especially for our favorite brunch period.
Rather than making the usual pancake that has butter and maple syrup on top. We decided to make some savory pancake – Savoury Pancakes with Tofu & Spinach stuffing.
This ultra-savoury beauty is full of rich flavours and the heavenly textures of soft, warm vegetables and just melting cheese. Simply gently fry some tofu and finely sliced onion in a drizzle of oil until lightly golden and caramelised, while wilting a few handfuls of fresh spinach leaves. Spoon in your pancake, top with yoghurt drizzle, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper and some finely chopped fresh red chilli for a wonderful kick at the end of each mouthful.
Actually this is a very easy recipe to make, I can say that it’s only the ingredients that looks fancy. There is two parts for these dish – part one is the making of pancake and part two is the making of the filling. We usually like to mixing the mixture for the pancake and leave it to “set” for around 15 minutes. This setting period allows the air bubbles to set and give a soft and chewy texture to the pancake.
While leaving the mixture to “set” we when on to cook our fillings. This filling is fabulously flavorful and has a texture similar to classic paneer, but is 100 percent vegan. If you are like us and are making resolutions for the New Year to eat less meat, this is a perfect recipe to start with.
This is a great thing to have on hand to make a quick Desperation Brunch – so we like to keep some small zip lock baggies of this magical stuff in my freezer. This stuff makes great sloppy joes and last-minute brunch!
Ingredients|
- 225 g plain flour
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 300 ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 3 spring onions
- 6 sprigs of fresh coriander
- 6 sprigs of fresh mint
- 2 fresh green chillies
- 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- optional: plain yoghurt, chopped coriander and diced red chilli , to serve
Ingredients needed for pancake filling:
- 400 g fresh baby spinach , or defrosted frozen spinach
- vegetable oil
- 400 g paneer
- 1 onion
- 5 cm piece of ginger
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tps of cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 4 tablespoons double cream
- 1 lemon
Method |
Start by making your filling. Blanch the spinach in a pan of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until wilted. Drain in a colander, squeeze out any excess water, then blitz in a food processor until roughly puréed. Set aside.
Cut the paneer into 1.5cm cubes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide non-stick frying pan, then stir-fry the paneer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Peel and thinly slice the onion, then peel and finely grate the garlic and ginger. Put to one side.
Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the same frying pan. Add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until they begin to become fragrant, then add the onion and fry over a low heat for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until softened.
Add the grated ginger, garlic and curry powder to the pan and continue to cook for a further minute or so. Then, stir in the spinach and cook over a medium heat for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the paneer and cream. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until piping hot. Squeeze in half the lemon juice, then taste and season, adding more lemon juice, if you like. Put to one side and keep warm.
To make the pancakes, place the flour in a large bowl and season with sea salt. Make a pit in the center and add the eggs and half of the milk.
Melt the butter in a medium non-stick frying pan (roughly 20cm). Allow to cool a little, then add to the batter along with the remaining milk. Whisk everything until smooth.
Trim and finely slice the spring onions and chillies (deseeding if you like), then pick and finely chop the herb leaves. Stir it all into the batter, along with the cumin seeds and turmeric until well combined. Leave the batter to rest for at least 15 minutes.
Lightly grease the frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add a ladleful of batter, turning the pan so it evenly and thinly coats the base. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until set and lightly golden. Flip over with a spatula and cook the other side for another minute, until golden.
Slip the pancake onto a warm plate and keep covered with a clean tea towel while you make the rest of the pancakes. You should have 8 in total.
When you’re ready to serve, place large spoonfuls of the spinach and paneer mixture in the middle of each pancake and fold into triangles or roll up to enclose the filling.
Drizzle with a little yogurt and scatter over some chopped coriander and diced red chilli (if using). You could also serve the stack of pancakes with all the accoutrements on the table and just let everyone help themselves.
Tips from the two sisters: Savory veggie-filled pancakes for breakfast or any meal. This is our go-to meal when we come home late and don’t feel like cooking. Experiment with another veggie, meat, and cheese combinations. Whether you’re on a cleanse or just trying to add healthier options to your breakfast table, we recommend choosing high quality ingredients whenever possible.
Share with us your making! Take a photo of yours, send us an email, tag us on Instagram, tweet us, anything. We love to see yours!
xoxo, Joe
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