Basic Vanilla Pancake Stack

Sundays are special. More so for Indian kids growing up in the 80s and 90s. The concept of a weekend comprising of a Saturday along with a Sunday is a recent phenomenon in most of our lives. And even then it is mostly restricted to us city dwellers. Sundays are literally the day of Sabbath in India.

Growing up, Sundays were for watching the Ramayana and Mahabharata. And then it was also to watch cartoons -The Jungle Book, Tom and Jerry, Duck Tales, and Talespin. Those were the days of Chitrahars and Rangoli. But most importantly those were the days when a fussy eater like me would wait eagerly at the breakfast table because Ma has prepared lusi (a deep-fried Indian bread made from unleavened refined flour) bhaji (vegetable dish). And while lusi-bhaji is still an eternal favorite food, (post coming up soon on the same too) with the advent of cable TV, Travel and Living Channels to be more specific we have assimilated the culture and food habits of different places.

And now in most Indian families, pancakes are a family staple for breakfasts. What's better than a beautiful looking pancake, is getting to bite into the beauty itself. A Sunday breakfast favorite, this is one of the easiest recipe to prepare, yet one can experiment so much with it. After all, you can top it with whatever you like- chocolate, honey, fruits, jam, well the list is endless. So, try out the recipe given below, and don't forget to leave feedback once you try it. 

This is a basic pancake batter, one can add cocoa by reducing the same amount of flour. 

Also, just delete the baking powder and make thin sheets if you prefer crêpes.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 tap baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp soft melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence or 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (if you prefer)
A pinch of salt
Oil for frying- (1 tsp for each pancake, 1st one might need a little more), I used canola/ olive.

Method:

1. Sift flour and baking powder, add salt.
2. Beat butter and egg, then add the buttermilk and give it a mix. Add sugar and blend. Then add the flour, mix properly. The batter is ready. If you think the mix is thick (the texture should be easy to spread on a pan) add a little buttermilk.
3. Now heat oil in a pan. Depending on the size of the pancake you prefer (for about 1/4 cup of batter I use about one tsp) heat oil in a pan. Pour the batter, lower the flame and cover for a minute or two. When the edges come off easily and the middle portion looks slightly cooked turn it over. If you prefer golden pancakes keep it for a little longer.
4. Top it with whatever you prefer, or serve it in individual pieces with different toppings in each. I had mine with a little honey, whipped cream, hazelnut spread and fresh strawberries. I also showered the top with a bit of sugar.

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