Happy Karva Chauth guys! Here's to our long lives and our awesome lady loves. For those unaware of this event, it is a one-day festival celebrated by Northern Indian (Hindu) women where married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The festival falls on the fourth (Chauth) day after the full moon. The story of origin of this festival are many, bu one hypothesis is that military wives would often pray for their husband's safe return, and conduct a day-long fast as a sacrificial means for a positive outcome. The festival also coincides with the wheat-sowing time, where big earthen pots in which wheat is stored are sometimes called Karvas, so the fast may have begun as a prayer for a good harvest in this predominantly wheat-eating region.
So, all this means that married women eat before dawn and after moonrise (traditionally sighting the moon through a sieve) and then drinking their first sip of water—which in itself is an incredible feast, as I get weak-kneed when it comes to food, so lord... thank you for birthing me as a man! :) But that said, I try my best to be there for wife, and made her this breakfast pre-dawn
I always make it a point to swing some fresh homemade food for the little 'uns, hoping they'd smell all those spices, seeind dada cook and in return understanding the importance of home cooking and being together in the kitchen with the family—all good things! ❤️
Today I made these chickpea batter pancakes with tons of spinach and some potatoes, spiced with corriander, carom seeds and some lovely smoked paprika my co-worker/friend carried back for me all the way from Morocco! The whole idea behind this was get a meal on the table in under 30 minutes, with as few ingredients as possible to hit the spot (heart and mind) on this rainy day.
These pancakes are:
✔️Vegan
✔️Vegetarian
✔️High-protein
✔️Nutritious
✔️A good source of energy
✔️Laden with healthy fats (If made with moderated amounts of Ghee)
✔️On the table in under 30 minutes
✔️Lastly, but super importantly—amazing, delicious and a perfect rainy day food
Amazing right?! In fact, these are a modified version of what I (and a lot of north Indians) grew up eating as kids. I love the fact that, these recipes can be passed on to the kids. Made with warming spices like corriander powder, carom seeds, and smoked Paprika. They're crunchy on the edges and soft, mushy at the center, perfect when paired with dippable, creamy Greek Yogurt. Clearly very different from the Carrot Cake Pancakes I made a while ago.
These get on the pan in no time, and on to the plate in an instant. Kids loved it too—which makes me extra extra happy, since all week long, we sometimes have to resort to store-bought food for t our kids meals, not ideal but when my wife gets back from a full day of insane work, the kids are yelling for dinner as soon as they are carried in! Sometimes I'll make their lunches or dinner for the next day after I get back from work. Our days are P A C K E D! Buuut, they loved these and kept stuffing their faces. Look at them 👇
Noor Gulab Budhiraja and her daddy's pancakes. ❤️
Littlest brother Krish Kabir Budhiraja—The trickster ❤️
These pancakes are an easy, nutritious, and delicious, family-friendly food, so you can get in there, make some magic and walk out proud and happy.
RECIPE
Spiced Vegan Potato Spinach Pancakes
Makes 6 medium size pancake
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cup chickpea flour (sifted)
2 potatoes (medium)
1 cup packed frozen spinach (defrosted) Retain the water
1 cup water
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Carom seeds
1 tsp paprika
Ghee for pan-frying
1 cup Greek yogurt for serving
Black pepper to sprinkle on top
METHOD
• Boil the potatoes in a pot of water and mash them roughly. Do not over-mash them.
• In a big bowl add the flower, the thawed spinach, water, spices and mashed potatoes.
• Fold in the batter gently, making sure not to overmix
• Get a large non-stick pan going on medium-high heat.
• Ladle in some pancake batter on the hot pan and spoon in a tiny bit of ghee (or another fat of your choice)
• Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden-brown color is achieved. Flip and repeat.
• Serve with creamy Greek yogurt with a dash of black pepper.
