Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

What is Shrove Tuesday and what does it have to do with pancakes?  Here's a short history.  It's known as "Mardi Gras" in French-speaking regions (including New Orleans, as I'm sure you are aware). "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday", the day before Ash Wednesday, when Christian Lent begins.  It's referred to as "Fat Tuesday" because fat and eggs, etc. had to be used up before the Lenten fast. Cakes, rich breads and pastries, and pancakes were made in order to consume these foods and not let them go to waste, and also to let loose and celebrate before the fast. Pancakes seem to be a nearly universal way to celebrate.

I actually had pancakes for breakfast this morning, even though I had forgotten it was Shrove Tuesday. Yesterday I had made some batter for grain and bean-based Indian crepes called Adai.  These were made with soaked, split. skinned mung beans (mung dal), oatmeal and chickpea flour.  They were so easy to make and quick to cook, AND nutritious and delicious. I'll post the recipe soon. (There are two other Indian crepe recipes listed below.)

So, pancakes and crepes can be made out of all sorts of ingredients and they can be sweet or savory.  I've compiled a list (with links to the appropriate blog post) of all the pancake and crepe recipes currently on my blog.  They are all delightful for any meal of the day.  A few can only loosely be described as pancakes, being flat or flattish, but no matter, they are all delicious.

Of course, being vegan and often low-fat, these recipes are not necessarily the best way to use up fat (and certainly not eggs and milk), but you can always slather them with vegan butter to keep the spirit of the day. And, vegans don't have to "give up" meat, eggs, dairy products and animal fat, but any excuse to eat pancakes!

NORTH AMERICAN-STYLE PANCAKES (or pancakes that are normally eaten with sweet toppings or fillings):

VEGAN ALL-AMERICAN "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKE MIX "I wanted a healthful vegan mix that produced a light, fluffy, white pancake (it's full of whole grains, but it looks white!). I also wanted it to have very few additions, so that it was really quick and easy. You only have to add water and a little lemon juice to this mix, and it produces pancakes you can be proud to serve to children, picky eaters, omnis, anybody!"

MULTI-GRAIN, HEMP PROTEIN PANCAKE MIX (There are some options if you don't want to use hemp.) "Why a hemp pancake mix? This is a multi-grain vegan pancake mix that I originally devised for a proposed hemp book. That deal fell through, but it's a good mix, and a fun way to add some hemp to your diet. You can read about the ecological benefits of hemp here. Hemp can play a role in an anti-inflammatory diet, since it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Hemp is a good source of fiber and protein, and it is a very sustainable, versatile crop that can grow in North America without pesticides! It is grown in many countries, including Canada, and is considered a good crop to replace tobacco." WHOLE GRAIN VEGAN SOURDOUGH PANCAKES "Here is my vegan version [of sourdough pancakes, using whole grain flours. It turned out beautifully! BTW, sourdough pancakes have a slightly different texture from regular pancakes-- fluffy, but a little more "bready". And, of course, with that sourdough tang that I love."              VEGAN ORANGE-CRANBERRY-PECAN MULTIGRAIN                      "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKES (Can be GF and SF) "Light, fluffy ALL-whole-grain vegan pancakes with the added fiber and antioxidants of flax, cranberries, and pecans. You can use this recipe as a template for plain multi-grain pancakes or pancakes with other flavors, fruits and nuts or seeds...They contain four different kinds of whole grain flour, a combo that makes a very light pancake.  I like to keep all of these flours together in the freezer to have at a moment's notice when we feel like having pancakes, without scrambling around to find everything."                               BLUEBERRY-OAT PANCAKES (No-Fat) "This is a great basic high-fiber, but very light and tender pancake recipe, due to the oat flour and wholewheat pastry flour."                          FAT-FREE WHOLE GRAIN VEGAN CREPES "When I was at the McDougall Celebrity Weekend in Santa Rosa in June [2008] , we were not supposed to use any added fat or oil, even pan-spray on the pans. I was planning to make no-fat crepes made with whole wheat pastry flour, chickpea flour and oat flour. In the nonstick pans Mary [McDougall] provided, I made about 50 crepes for audience tasting, and then, in the workshop, I made several in front of the audience, with no mishaps. They were very impressed, and Chef Kevin Dunn told me he never would have tried that! This is the crepe recipe I made at that McDougall event." SAVORY PANCAKES, CREPES, ETC.: FERMENTED OAT AND URAD DAL UTTAPAM (SAVORY OR SWEET)

"Uttapam (or ooththappam or Uthappa) is a South Indian or Tamil pancake-like dish made with a batter of grain (such as rice, semolina or millet), or grain and legumes, similar to dosa batter. Dosa is thinner and crepe-like--sometimes crisp and sometimes softer. Uttapam is a thick pancake, with toppings of vegetables added to the "pancake" when it is just ready to be flipped over. Uttapam is sometimes called an "Indian pizza".  It's a common breakfast and snack food in Southern India."   PS: There is also a fruit variation!

             MOONG DAL ADAI OR PESARATTU (INDIAN CREPES )

"These crepes are a type of dosa that is made only from dal and is unfermented. These are actually a bit sturdier than the crepes we're used to, but they fold and roll nicely. You can just eat them with chutney or an Indian-style vegetable stir-fry, or with a more elaborate vegetable curry, if you like. They can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or for a lunch or supper dish. (They would be great for a gluten-free diet, too.)... this simple, delicious, nourishing, and filling meal was so inexpensive to make!"

VEGAN OKONOMIYAKI (JAPANESE OMELET OR PANCAKE) (Can be GF and Soy-free)

"I've worked on this recipe on-and-off for a little while. Besides making them vegan, I wanted to use ingredients that most North Americans would be able to obtain easily. These vegan savory omelets or pancakes, however you choose to think of them, are so simple, cheap and quick to make, but absolutely addictive!  They originated as frugal street food and were eaten often in the days of reconstruction after WWII."

FARINATA (FAINÁ) (ITALIAN CHICKPEA FLOUR "PANCAKE") 

"So what is this mysterious “pancake”? It’s a delicious and nourishing snack food, a flatbread, really. In Nice, their version, Socca, is a street food, cooked huge copper pans over wood burners (rather than baked), pieces eaten out of hand like French fries in a cone of paper with lots of pepper. In Italy, it is eaten at home, with a knife and fork, or at a bar. In Genoa, there are farinata bakeries everywhere. In Argentina, they eat it on pizza! Both Italians and Niçois will tell you that it should not be made at home and it won’t taste the same if it’s not made over a wood-fired stove or in a wood-fired oven, but, trust me, a very reasonable approximation can be made and enjoyed at home!...This from my book Nonna's Italian Kitchen.

This is a thin version, which I prefer. You can sprinkle the top with chopped garlic and rosemary, thyme or sage before baking, if you like. Ligurians, who eat it with a knife and fork, sometimes also top it with thinly sliced onions or green onions, or even slices of baby artichoke. I like the leftovers cold, too. (UPDATE: Here's another great way to serve farinata.)"

   BROWN RICE AND LENTIL ADAI (INDIAN DOSAS OR CREPES)  

For some reason, I've always been fascinated with recipes using plain beans and whole grains that are soaked and ground and used to make delicious, simple and healthful breakfast treats, breads and snacks. We need more recipes like this under our belts, so to speak, to get through hard financial times in good health and spirits... I used to make this type of dosa years ago for my children for breakfast.  They loved it and I still do!"  (These crepes are gluten-free and soy-free, BTW.)

                         PERSIAN-STYLE VEGAN POTATO PATTIES 
                                                 (Kuku Sib-Zamini) GF

In Arabic and Persian cuisines there is a type of thick baked omelet or fritatta that can utilize almost any vegetable (but always contains some green herbs).  It can be eaten hot or cold and is often used as a picnic food.  In Arabic it is called "eggah" ( عجة ʻaggah or ʻajjah) and in Perisan it is called "kuku" (کوکو).  According to food historian Alan Davidson, these are most probably the origin of Italian fritattas and Spanish tortillas (not the Mexican corn variety)... Sometimes the mixture is made into "pancakes" or "patties" and is shallow-fried in oil or clarified butter instead of baked.  This is the type of thing I wanted to try, but, of course, egg-free and made with only a little oil.  I also wanted to make the potato variety because it sounded nicely substantial and I thought the potato would help hold things together. (It can be made with eggplant, parsley and green onions, leeks, broad beans, spinach and other greens, cauliflower, squash...)  I decided to try a mixture of mashed tofu and chickpea flour instead of the egg....It was super simple to make and very tasty—open to alot of variation, too, so I will be playing with it further. I think the potato did help, but you could probably use less if it was baked—something for further experimentation."

Enjoy!

 Urad dal  Brown Basmati Rice and Urad Dal Adai (Indian crepes) with Masala Potato filling and Lime Tofu Yogurt

 Rather fuzzy pic (sorry!) of white bean and oat waffles I developed for my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook"-- recipe here. (There's also a fancier version of this recipe at this blog post.)

For some reason, I've always been fascinated with recipes using plain beans and whole grains that are soaked and ground and used to make delicious, simple and healthful breakfast treats, breads and snacks. We need more recipes like this under our belts, so to speak, to get through hard financial times in good health and spirits.  These two recipes come from very different cooking traditions (one ancient and the other more recent) that have used soaked beans and grains to advantage over the years-- Indian cuisine and Seventh Day Adventist cooking. This last weekend I had occasion to serve a recipe from each tradition.

My stepson and his girlfriend were visiting and Laurie mentioned that a buddy of his (in Vancouver) wanted him to try a dosa restaurant.  Dosai are Indian crepes made from soaked grain (usually semolina or rice) and dried legumes. Sometime these crepes have different names, such as adai. He had never tasted them, so (being a fan of dosas) I thought I'd make some while they were here.  And, as it happened, I already had some white beans soaking for waffles, so we had those for breakfast the following day, and the adai/dosai for brunch the next day.
I used to make this type of dosa years ago for my children for breakfast.  They loved it and I still do!

 Finished adai

Printable Recipe
1 cup dal (I used urad dal, but you can use a mixture of dals, or split moong dal , or even split yellow peas)
(Note: Urad dal is split, skinned Indian black lentils)   

Moong Dal "Crepes" with Indian-style sautéed Savoy cabbage and soy yogurt

I'm really excited about these Indian "crepes" (called adai or pesarattu, made only from dal [dried legume] and un-fermented)-- they are made from beans!

I have made dosa (another type of Indian "crepe") for years, but usually with some grain or flour in them, and usually with some oil in the pan. My experiment was to make them solely with soaked beans and with no more than a light spritz of oil in the pan. It was a success, and DH and my friend Holly gobbled them up. (For a filling, I used a simple cabbage stir-fry recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's World of Vegetarian Cooking, with some Tofu "Yogurt". You can use any vegan yogurt.)

We all remarked that this simple, delicious, nourishing, and filling meal was so inexpensive to make.















This experience has inspired me to try different kinds of Indian breads and dumplings that can be cooked in a nonstick pan, or steamed, using soaked beans, sprouted beans, bean flours, and even fresh corn. I'll let you know if I have any other successes.

Last night I soaked some moong dal in water:



I used split moong dal, with the skins.Much later, I found my split washed moong dal (which has the skins removed), which would have made a nice white batter. Mine was kind of green! Oh, well-- next time.


Washed moong dal

In the morning it looked like this and I had about 5 1/2 cups of soaked dal.













Here's the recipe:

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S MOONG DAL ADAI OR PESARATTU (INDIAN "CREPES" )
Servings: 12
These crepes are a type of Indian "crepe" that is made only from soaked, but not fermented, dal. These are actually a bit sturdier than the crepes we're used to, but they fold and roll nicely. You can eat them simply with chutney or an Indian-style vegetable stir-fry, or with a more elaborate vegetable curry, if you like. They can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or for a lunch or supper dish. (They would be great for a gluten-free diet, too.)

1 1/2 cups split moong dal (The washed kind have no skins, so make a nicer-looking batter, but you can use the kind with the skins.  I'm told that you can use whole moong dal as well.)
water to generously cover-- they really soak it up!
2 tablespoons (or more, according to taste) of fresh chopped green chilies (seeds removed-- or, cheat, as I did, and use pickled or canned jalapeño peppers)
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
water to thin the batter, as necessary (1/2 cup, at least)

The night before you are to make the adai, rinse and drain the dal and then place in a bowl or container with room to almost triple, and cover generously with water. The dal will soak up alot of water, so don't be stingy!

The day you are making the pancakes, make or assemble your filling(s) before starting to cook the adai.

Drain the water off the soaked dal and place it in a large high-speed blender container, along with the chilies, salt and ginger. In a Vita-Mix, you can grind the soaked beans, using the tamper, without extra water, but I don't think you could do this in cheaper blenders. In any case, I ended up adding water to the batter, so you are safe to add 1/2 cup of water to the batter when blending.

Blend the mixture until smooth, stopping and scraping down as necessary. Scoop the mixture into a bowl. Add the cumin seeds.

Now, adjust the thickness of the batter. If it's too thick, it won't spread easily. I kept stirring in water until it spread easily. I didn't measure, unfortunately, but the batter ended up like a regular Western crepe batter, more or less-- kind of like cream.

Spray a good-quality 8 to 10" nonstick skillet with oil from a spray pump and heat over high heat. (OR use a well-seasoned cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel skillet instead of a non-stick pan-- see below recipe for how to season these skillets so that they are virtually nonstick, and how to keep them that way.)

With a good nonstick or well-seasoned skillet you may be able to cook these without using a spray pump with oil, but it depends on your pan. When cold water sprinkled on the pan sizzles, scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan with a small ladle and then use the bottom of the ladle to go in circles and spread the batter out from the center. It's easier than you might think! See the "action" pictures below (they are blurry, but give you the idea):

















PS: if your batter doesn't spread easily, it may be too thick.

I turned the heat down just a notch or two from the "high" setting. Almost as soon as you have the batter spread, it will start looking a bit dry on top.

Carefully turn the adai and cook for a few seconds, then fold in half and lay on a platter with a clean tea towel over the adai.



Repeat until the batter is all used up. These can be refrigerated and reheated.










Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per crepe): 90.8 calories; 3% calories from fat; 0.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 166.5mg sodium; 327.7mg potassium; 16.4g carbohydrates; 4.3g fiber; 1.7g sugar; 12.1g net carbs; 6.2g protein; 1.0 points.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEASONING SKILLETS AND KEEPING THEM SEASONED , SO THAT THEY ARE VIRTUALLY NONSTICK:

Instructions for seasoning a carbon steel skillet here, here and here.

Instructions for seasoning a stainless steel skillet here and here.

Instructions for seasoning a cast iron skillet here.

If your cast iron skillet is really a mess, here is one way to restore it. If it is a rusty mess, it needs to be stripped and re-seasoned. I had an old pan like this and I did not want to use lye or oven cleaner to scrub it.  I used the self-cleaning oven method described at the beginning of this article. This treatment stripped it right down to the grey iron. Then I did thorough oven-seasoning-- rub oil on all parts of the pan, including the handle; make sure there is no dripping oil; bake at about 350 degrees F for 1 hour; cool completely; repeat 3 more times. This may seem excessive, but you can do it when you are baking something at the same time, and the pan was like new!

To keep your cast iron pans well-seasoned, after cooking, add some HOT water to the pan (do not use cold) and let them soak for a few minutes.  Then clean with a scrub brush (no stainless steel scrubbers, please!).  Anything is stuck, use the edge of a plastic (not metal) dough scraper or the special polycarbonate pan scraper that Lodge sells for this purpose:
Dry the pan thoroughly.  Rub a little oil all over the inside of the pan.  Rub it in well and don't leave any excess oil.  Place over low heat on the stove for 5-10 minutes.  Let it cool and store.

PS: You do not need to use an expensive oil like flax oil, or even coconut oil.  Your favorite neutral smelling/tasting oil will do just fine.

Enjoy!