Pancakes are generally synonymous with sweet, syrupy indulgent breakfast fare. They’re also synonymous with bloated bellies and near catatonic energy levels. For me, those moments of instant gratification never seem worth the following hours of a sluggish mind and body.
Thankfully, there are ways to indulge in this breakfast treat without blood sugar crashes. I recently spent time with Goyo Fawley, an Ayurvedic chef at Satyam Healing Arts in California. (Click here to read more about my experiences with an Ayruvedic diet and lifestyle.) He showed me how to griddle up delicious, protein-packed, colorful pancakes that left me feeling balanced and ready to take on the day, not take a nap. These healthy, bean-filled flapjacks adapt to plenty of dietary restrictions; they’re gluten-free and can be dairy-free and vegan, too.
Fawley taught me that regularly balancing my body, mind and spirit leads to more energy and vigor, and that is the key to balance and living a full, vital life. Here’s to your health!
Mung Bean Pancakes with Coconut-Cilantro Sauce
4 servings
½ cup shredded, unsweetened dried coconut
1½ cups hot water
2 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil, plus more for frying, divided
Half of a small serrano pepper, chopped
2 ½-inch pieces of ginger, peeled, divided
½ tsp. cumin seed
1/8 tsp. asafetida*, plus more to taste (optional)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt to taste
1 cup raw mung beans, soaked overnight in water, drained and rinsed
½ large onion, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 cups tap water
½ cup shredded beet or carrot, plus more for garnish
Sliced green onion for garnish
• In a medium bowl, soak the dried coconut in the hot water 30 to 45 minutes, until softened.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed skillet, warm 2 tablespoons ghee over medium heat. Saute the serrano pepper, 1 piece of ginger and the cumin seeds about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add a dash of asafetida to taste, if desired.
• In a high-powered blender or the bowl of a food processor, combine the rehydrated coconut, its soaking liquid and the sauteed pepper mixture and pulse. Add the cilantro, lime juice and sea salt to taste and purée until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
• In a high-powered blender or the bowl of a food processor, add the mung beans, onion, ginger, 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (if desired) and 2 cups water and pulse. Add more water as needed until the mixture reaches a pancake batter-like consistency.
• Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet or griddle with ghee over medium-high heat. Pour the batter into the skillet in batches to form desired size pancakes. Sprinkle the surface of each pancake with shredded beet or carrot. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until underside is lightly browned. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, utnil the pancake is browned and cooked though. Repeat until all batter is used.
• Serve the pancakes with the sauce and garnish with sliced green onions and shredded beet or carrot.
*Asafetida, also called hing, is an herb cultivated in India. It can be found at Jay International Food Co., and other international markets.
This article appears in September 2014.