This vegetable pancake falls somewhere between fritters and a frittata. Its egg base gives it more lift than a normal fritter, and the chickpea flour gives it more structure than a frittata. The inspiration for this pancake comes from my appreciation for fritters - they're fun, versatile, and thrifty, allowing me to turn ordinary, leftover vegetables into a simple but special meal - but an even greater appreciation for quick cooking. As much as I like personal-sized, hand-held food, if I'm cooking said food on the stovetop, one batch at a time - as opposed to all at once in the oven - I'll likely find a way to apply a one-and-done method. Which is what this skillet-size pancake is all about.
What I love even more though about this pancake is that it's a vessel for yummy toppings. I went with Indian toppings - a mint cilantro ginger chutney and mango salsa - because they pair so well with the cumin seeds already in the pancake. Though you could top the pancake with just about anything you feel like. A fresh corn salsa or cucumber salad, lemon yogurt sauce, or any number of the sauces I have archived. Smoky Green Sauce, Italian Tomato Salsa, Chimichurri, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, to name just a few.
This is a fun meal. You can play around with the grated vegetable (carrot, beet, and sweet potato also work well), spices, and toppings to suit your taste and accommodate whatever leftovers you have in the fridge. Hope you guys enjoy this one!
Zucchini Pancake
Serves 3-4
Notes: If you don't have cumin seeds, you won't get the nice crunch or such a predominate smoky flavor, but you can still achieve a subtle smoky flavor by adding 1/2 tsp. ground cumin to the egg batter.
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (80 gr) chickpea flour
- 1 small-medium zucchini, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt + pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
Sauce of choice (A few suggestions are below)
- Ginger Chutney and/or Mango Salsa (recipes below)
- Fresh corn salsa
- Cucumber, mint, and lime salad
- Sauces from the archives, namely Smoky Green Sauce, Italian Tomato Salsa, Chimichurri, Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Place grated zucchini in a colander. Squeeze handfuls of zucchini at a time to remove excess moisture. Place zucchini back in colander.
- Beat eggs thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in flour, zucchini, salt, pepper.
- Heat a 10 in/24 cm non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and cumin seeds. Toast for a minute, or until seeds begin to smell fragrant and toasty.
- Make sure seeds and oil are evenly distributed around the pan. Pour in batter, spreading around the pan evenly. Cook for 3-6 minutes, until bottom is fully set and eggs are still slightly runny on top. Use a large spatula to flip. Cook another 3-4 minutes. (Cook time will vary depending on size of pan you use.)
- Plate, cut into slices, and serve with your sauce of choice.
Ginger Chutney
- 20 gr. fresh herbs - a mix of coriander and mint
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 red chili (or depending on preferred spice level)
- 1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1/2 tsp. - 1 tsp. honey
- Pulse herbs, garlic, and chili together in the bowl of a mini food processor, until minced finely. Grate in ginger and add remaining ingredients. Blend until you get a smooth sauce. Taste and adjust for salt, spice, and sweet.
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1/2 small bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 chili, minced
- Juice from 3/4 lime
- Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
- Big pinch of salt
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust for salt, acidity, and spice. This is good to make in advance to allow all the flavors to marinate together.