CRISPY HERB PANCAKES WITH HUMMUS

 
 
 
 

Savoury pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Whip these up in minutes with fresh herbs and leaves, and dollop on creamy hummus, a drizzle of olive oil and a good grind of black pepper for a satisfying meal. The pancake is cooked a little longer on one side to make it crispy—reminiscent of a dosa for me—and then just seconds on the other side. I used sage, parsley and chard as that’s what I had in the garden, but try any combination of herbs and thin leaves. Keep the greens on the light side though, otherwise you’ll end up with an omelette or something more like a farinata... or even possibly a scramble if it doesn’t stay together. It’d still be tasty, though!

 

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4-5 pancakes

150g gluten-free flour (I used Doves Farm Plain)
1 egg (or 1 tbsp chickpea flour + 2 tbsp water)
150ml plant milk or water
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Ghee or your favourite cooking oil, for cooking
Greens: I used about 6 sage leaves, a small handful of parsley and 5 young chard leaves per pancake
Hummus, extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper, to serve

METHOD

  1. In a jug or bowl, whisk the pancake ingredients together until smooth and set aside.

  2. Finely chop the fresh greens.

  3. Heat a teaspoon of ghee or your choice of oil in a frying pan, then sauté a handful of the finely chopped greens for a couple of minutes on medium heat.

  4. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add another bit of ghee or cooking oil if necessary and stir the batter. Spoon some into the hot pan, rolling it out to the edges.

  5. Cook the pancake until crispy and golden brown on the underside, loosening the sides to check.

  6. Use a spatula to make sure that the pancake can lift from the underside, then turn or flip it over for 30 seconds or so—not too long, so that you don’t overcook it. Set aside, crispy side up on a plate, and keep warm.

  7. To serve, dollop each pancake with hummus, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with black pepper. Serve flat, rolled or folded.

East by West tip:

Check out the herby pizza pancakes for something similar. I also love the dosas from East by West (page 80-81) or the frittata farinata.

 
WINTER, SPRING, VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, LUNCHJasmine Hemsley