RAGI PANCAKES WITH ALMOND CREAM AND COOKED FRUIT
Ragi, or finger millet, features in my book East by West as Ragi Roti on page 63. I first tried this malted flour in India and loved it. It’s an amazing source of calcium and fibre, and often babies' first solid food in India. You can find it in health food stores, Asian supermarkets and online. It’s also one of the gluten-free grains (or technically pseudocereals) that’s very good for pacifying Vata, so I've enjoyed using it amongst others in my everyday cooking and especially during my pregnancy — though my Ayurvedic doctor told me not to overdo it as it’s a major part of the postpartum diet so she didn’t want me to go off it!
I went through a major pancake stage during months 6 and 7. Not someone who can normally stay interested in flipping pancakes more than once every couple of months, I got into the domestic bliss of making all sorts of pancakes for breakfast like I was in an American movie. This is one of my faves — when I was craving something creamy with stewed fruits. Now yoghurt, well any dairy other than say ghee (which is really the fat of milk rather than the milk solids) or perhaps a bit of butter, combined in a meal with fruit is not considered a great recipe for digestive health. Some people (read young and fit with lively Agnis!) will be fine on it but over time, and with all the other stressors of daily life, Ayurveda recognises these as an incompatible mix.
Enter creamy dairy alternatives — these days we can pick up vegan yoghurts and creams made from oats, almonds, coconut, etc. I found a pot of plain almond yoghurt (that’s yoghurt made from blended almonds and water, not almond-flavoured dairy yoghurt — confusing I know!) and this is what I came up with. It’s a simple batter of ragi flour mixed with some of the almond yoghurt and water, dropped into a hot cast iron pan to make not too thick, not too thin pancakes.
I then dolloped the cakes with more almond yoghurt and topped with some delicious stewed wild citrus fruits steeped in syrup which I’d brought back from an organic farm in Greece on my yoga teacher training the year before. Cooked and dried fruits generally combine with other foods better than fresh — eat fresh fruit, ripe, room temp or cooked, preferably earlier in the day and by itself or with spices. To enhance the compatibility of my cooked fruit and almond yoghurt combo, I also added some dried ginger powder which is also a good idea to balance the Kapha qualities of sweet food and improve digestibility — as well as a flavour pop.
To really thicken up the almond yoghurt to more of a sour cream, you can get a head start by an hour’s (or overnight) straining of the yoghurt for a thicker topping, which I’ve detailed in the recipe below. The “whey” that separates can be swapped in as part of the water quota in the ragi batter, nothing wasted. You can also pimp up your almond yoghurt with a bit of honey or maple syrup (if you’re not adding a jam or stewed fruit topping) and a squeeze of lemon juice. Also delicious topped with ghee-roasted pecans or almonds. Mmmh.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 6
Serves 2-3
For the pancakes
150g ragi AKA finger millet flour (1 cup)
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup cold water (if straining the almond yoghurt, use the leftover or liquid (“whey”) as part of the water quota)
¼ cup plain almond yoghurt from a 350g pot
Pinch of sea salt
Ghee or oil for cooking
For the almond cream
The rest of the almond yoghurt from the pot above
2 pinches ginger powder
Optional: 2 tsp lemon juice
Optional: ⅛ tsp salt
Topping ideas:
Stewed fruits
Fruits in syrup
Honey and turmeric drizzle (page 79 in East by West)
METHOD
The night before or at least an hour before, line a sieve with muslin or 2 layers of paper towel (a little more delicate to work with). Place the sieve over a high-sided bowl and tip in the almond yoghurt. Fold the top of the muslin or paper towel over the top and place a small plate or bowl on top to weigh it down gently. The sieve should sit at least 2 inches above the bottom bowl to allow adequate drainage. If using that day leave at room temp; otherwise transfer to the fridge. Don’t throw out the liquid (“whey”) — you’re going to need it.
Put the ragi flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir to combine. Beat in a quarter cup of the yoghurt from above, and ¾ cup of water (which also includes the strained whey from the first step) to make a smooth batter. You might want to add a tablespoon more water if it feels too thick.
Heat a non-stick frying pan — I find a well seasoned cast iron pan works best — to medium high heat and add a little ghee or oil. Swirl it around to cover the surface then drain off any excess.
Use just under a quarter cup measure or ice cream scoop to dollop the batter into the middle of the pan. If the batter is very thick, use the back of the cup or scoop to lightly spread it around in a circle to about half a centimetre thick.
When bubbles appear on the surface and the base is golden and lifts easily, turn the pancakes over and cook the other side.
Remove the finished pancakes and keep them warm while you make the rest.
Serve warm with your toppings of choice.
East by West tips:
Don’t forget that if you don’t want to or don’t have time to strain the almond yoghurt to make it extra thick that you can just go ahead and make it using the existing almond yoghurt and water without any delay!
If you like this try the teff waffles with turmeric and honey drizzle, gluten-free crumpcakes or fermented buckwheat pancakes.