Black-Eyed Pea Pancakes
Source of Recipe
Bob Terwilliger
Recipe Introduction
This scrumptious savory pancake, given here with its Gujarati name, is eaten
in western and southern India. It is spicy, light, but quite satisfying, and
exceedingly nourishing. It can be eaten at any time of the day, but is ideal
for breakfast and snacks. To make it, black-eyed peas have to be soaked
overnight in water. Next morning, their skins are rubbed off and the beans
are ground in a food processor or a blender into a batter. Ginger, garlic,
green chilies, Chinese parsley, salt, and turmeric are added to the batter
and then the pancakes are cooked on a nonstick griddle or skillet...The
batter can be made up to 24 hours in advance and then covered and
refrigerated. Stir it well before you begin cooking.
makes 12-14 pancakes
List of Ingredients
1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained
A 3/4-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled, and cut into 4 pieces
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 to 2 fresh hot green chilies, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon minced Chinese parsley
About 3/4 cup vegetable oil
Recipe
Soak the peas for 12 to 16 hours in a bowl filled with 4 cups of water. Then
peel the peas by dipping your hands into the bowl of peas and water and
rubbing them between your two palms. Drain and spread the peas out on a
large platter and pick off the skins that have been loosened. (Do not worry
if not all the skins have come loose.)
Start your food processor with the metal blade in place. Through the funnel,
drop in the ginger pieces first, followed by the garlic cloves and the green
chili (or chilies). When they are minced, stop the machine and put in all
the drained black-eyed peas. Start the machine again and let it run until
the peas turn pastelike. Run the machine for another minute to make a
thickish batter. Empty batter into a bowl. (This batter can also be made in
an electric blender.)
See that you have everything you need for your poora-making. Not far from
your nonstick skillet should be your oil (take it out in a cup) and a
teaspoon, a rounded soupspoon for spreading out the batter, a 1/3 cup
measuring cup, and a plastic spatula. Also have a plate beside you on which
you can put the pooras as they are cooked.
Pour 1 teaspoon of oil into an 8-inch nonstick skillet. Spread the oil
around by tilting the skillet. Now put the skillet to heat over a medium-low
flame. When the oil is hot, stir the batter well, scoop up 1/3 cup, and flop
this down in the center of your heated skillet. Let it just sit there for 3
to 4 seconds. Now place the rounded bottom of your soupspoon very lightly on
the center of your blob of batter. Using a slow, gentle, and continuous
spiral motion, spread the batter outward with the back of the soupspoon. You
should now have a pancake about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Dribble 1/2
teaspoon oil over the pancake and another 1/2 teaspoon just outside its
edges. Using your plastic spatula, spread the oil on top of the pancake and
also smooth out any lumps or ridges. Let the pancake cook for about 2
minutes on the first side or until it turns a nice reddish color. Flip the
pancake over with the plastic spatula and cook the other side for about 2
minutes or until it develops small reddish spots. Remove the pancake and put
it on a plate. Make all the pancakes this way, MAKING SURE YOU STIR THE
BATTER BEFORE YOU MAKE EACH PANCAKE. (If you do not do this, you will be
left with a very watery batter toward the end.) Stack the pancakes one on
top of the other. If not eating immediately, wrap the whole stack of
pancakes in aluminum foil. This way, they can be eaten a couple of hours
later at room temperature or reheated, still wrapped in foil, in a 450°F
oven for 15 minutes.
These pancakes are always served with their first side up (the first side
that was cooked, that is) and eaten with relishes, pickles, chutney, or
cooked vegetables.
BOB'S NOTES:
1. I often use chile-garlic paste in place of the garlic and fresh chiles.
2. I don't add oil after the pancake goes into the pan unless I think it
needs it. It's kind of like making crepes in that you have to watch the oil
level carefully.
3. I don't use a spatula to flip the pancakes; I do the time-honored deft
flick of the wrist to flip them like flapjacks.
4. I usually serve them with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of scallion
greens. For an interesting brunch, serve them with Sri Lankan hoppers,
curried hard-boiled eggs, and mango relish (chutney, salsa, sambal, or
whatever you want to call it).
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