Cucumber and Carrot Pancakes

Most of the times we want a recipe for breakfast that’s quick to make and involves less prep work. This recipe fits those requirements to a T. Cucumbers are light on the stomach and healthy as well. I decided to use them as one of the main ingredients in a pancake batter. To give the entire dish some crunch and bite, I added in carrots as well. This recipe can be made into patties, which can be eaten plain or by keeping them in a sandwich along with some tomato ketchup. They can also be made in the bigger size which would be equivalent to a medium sized dosa. It turned out to be extremely delicious and it is one of my favourite breakfast recipes now. Sometimes I even make this for dinner along with a glass of buttermilk. I have tried this exact recipe replacing zucchini instead of cucumber and the result is equally fabulous.

Recipe Details :
Makes: 8 small pancakes or 4 large pancakes
Time: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients :

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and grated (approx 2 cups)
• 1 large carrot, grated (approx 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup Chickpea flour/ Besan
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 – 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp oil for 1 pancake for frying
• Freshly chopped coriander
• Salt to taste

• Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients except the oil to make a batter. Keep in mind not to add water while mixing as the cucumber or zucchini will provide the required moisture.
• Heat a non-stick pan on low-medium heat and grease its surface with a bit of oil.
• Take 1/4 cup of the batter and place it on the pan. Press down on the batter gently with your fingers to spread it out in an evenly into a shape of your choice. Do not make it very thin. In case of a large pancake, do the same process using 1/2 a cup of batter.
• Drizzle some oil on the top and sides of the pancake.
• Cook until the base turns golden brown in colour.
• Now turn the pancake over and cook on the other side and then remove it from the pan. Serve it along with toast, with accompaniments of chutney or ketchup (if required), and you are in for a delicious meal.
• In case of a large pancake, it is heavy enough to serve as breakfast – even without toast. For an idea of the portion size, see the picture below

Tips :

• Do not sprinkle water while making the batter or while spreading the batter on the pan.
• Don’t make the batter too early as the cucumber / zucchini will make the batter more loose as time passes.
• If you do want to prep it in advance, use a little more besan and store it in the fridge.
• Adjust the spices as per your taste levels. You can add finely chopped green chillies if you like it spicy.