Savory Lentil Pancake
An Indian-inspired vegan pancake
Equipment
- food processor
- 10-inch nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 150 g sweet potato — peeled and sliced into matchsticks
- 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
- 100 g dry yellow split peas
- ¾ tsp green peppercorns — or more, to taste
- ½ – 1 tsp ghee — optional, for a richer taste but more caloric.
- 1/3 cup water
- 15 g cilantro — optional. For those averse to cilantro, you can try Italian parsley lightly sauteed with the sweet potatoes for a few seconds at the end.
- 1 tsp salt — this recipe needs substantial salt. Measurement is for Diamond Crystal texture. You may need less granulated salt.
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp oil or ghee — for frying
For non-MCAS friends, you can add
- 1 stalk green onion (not-MCAS safe) — sliced and sauteed with the potato.
- 1 clove garlic (not-MCAS safe) — crushed and briefly sauteed with potato a towards the end
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (not-MCAS safe) — grated into pulp and added to drained peas during the puree.
- ⅓ whole jalapeño (not-MCAS safe) — minced, added to the batter with the salt, according to taste.
Instructions
- Soak split peas in water (enough to cover by a couple inches) for at least 3 hours.
- Slice sweet potato into matchsticks. Some mandolins have a convenient feature that speeds the process. Sauté the matchsticks over medium heat until soft and cooked, but not browned. Lightly sprinkle with salt and remove from heat and set aside to cool in mixing bowl.
- Drain the split peas. Add peas, 1/3 cup of water, green peppercorns and optional ghee (if using) to a food processor and puree for 5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down after the first minute. The result should be fairly creamy with no chunks of pea.
- Add the baking soda and salt and pulse for a few seconds until well mixed, about 5 seconds—don't overblend at this stage. Add the cilantro and pulse briefly so it is coarsely chopped.
- Decant the pea batter into the bowl with the cooked sweet potatoes. Combine gently with a rubber spatula.
- Cook the mixture in a frying pan on medium-low in about 2 teaspoons of oil or ghee. The ideal pan for this is an 10-inch nonstick skillet, which allows you to form a perfectly round pancake. Gently spread the batter into the pan, smoothing the top so it is even and using your spatula to bring in the edges so they're smooth and vertical. Place a lid over the skillet to allow the pancake to steam somewhat. The pancake is ready to turn when the bottom is golden brown and lightly crispy. Flip and cook the second side, uncovered, on medium until golden brown as well.
Notes
This pancake makes for a nice dinner that you can easily variations of for friends and family and all enjoy "the same" meal. It can taste a bit dry, so an acidic or creamy sauce is a nice way to moisten the palate and add more flavors. Sauce possibilities for MCAS folks include house-made mayo, faux sour cream, our watermelon "ketchup", or tamarind jelly. For non-MCAS folks, consider a spiced ketchup, chutney, sriracha, or raita.
This recipe is adapted from the We Cook Vegan YouTube channel.
