Mint Flavored Potato Bajra Pancake is made with pearl millet, potatoes and mint. A hearty and nutritious pancake that helps keep the tummy acids under control.
While growing up, I would gorge upon bhakri and thecha made by my neighbor nearly every other day. I loved eating bhakri which is a more thick and drier roti. I am told that it is a farmer's favorite meal after a hard day at work on the farms. They enjoy it along with some freshly hand crushed onions. I never attempted to make bhakri at home yet as it is a little complicated to make, at least for me. But I think, I will attempt it soon now that I have bajra flour handy.
I had picked it up on my last visit to the in Indian grocery store. But you can order it through Amazon as well. Bajra or pearl millets are a great source of starch, making it a high-energy food. It is also an excellent source of protein and fiber. It is said that the amino acids in the pearl millet are more easily digestible than the ones found in wheat and to add to it, they are gluten-free. I wanted to create some recipe other than bhakri using this wonder flour and hence I called up my friend in Bombay.
After the expected friendly banter, I asked her for a recipe to make using pearl millets. Bhakri being the most common dish, she had to really think hard for another recipe. That is when she remembered this pancake recipe which her grandma used to make and roughly told me how to prepare it. With great excitement, I hung up and now started thinking on the lines of making bajra pancakes with potato. Rummaging through my fridge, I gathered ingredients which I thought would pair well in this recipe and went ahead to make it.
Given that my Potato Dosa recipe has been so well received by all of you, this recipe is its cousin! You will love it. Coarsely mince mint leaves, cilantro
and green chillies. In a bowl
, add finely chopped boiled potatoes
. Add the coarsely ground mint-cilantro mix to the bowl. Mix.
Then add finely chopped onions, cumin seeds
, bajra flour
and salt. Mix it all together and give it a thick batter consistency by adding enough water. You will need a mini pancake pan
for this recipe. Heat this pan, smear oil in every mold and pour a spoonful of batter in each mold. On medium flame, allow it to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side the similar way.
Take it off the pan and serve it with any chutney/ketchup. These savory pancakes are vegetarian/vegan, low-fat, gluten-free and can be served for breakfast or as an evening snack. You can prepare the batter ahead of time and make the pancakes as and when needed. The potatoes and mint go very well together and bajra flour just ups the nutrition content of this dish. A refreshingly tasty meal that will keep you full for a couple of hours but leave you craving for more!
I had them for lunch today and was blown away by the flavors. I quickly called up my friend and shared this recipe with her. She promised to try out my recipe very soon and give me feedback. However, she also thanked me for recreating this long forgotten recipe (in her household) and giving it my own twist.
Gluten Free Mint Flavored Potato Bajra Pancake
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped potatoes
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 3-4 green chillies
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup bajra flour
- Salt as required
- Water as required
- Oil as required
Instructions
- Coarsely mince mint leaves, cilantro and green chillies. In a bowl, add finely chopped boiled potatoes. Add the coarsely ground mint-cilantro mix to the bowl. Mix.
- Then add finely chopped onions, cumin seeds, bajra flour and salt. Mix it all together and give it a thick batter consistency by adding enough water. You will need a mini pancake pan for this recipe. Heat this pan, smear oil in every mold and pour a spoonful of batter in each mold. On medium flame, allow it to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side the similar way.
- Take it off the pan and serve it with any chutney/ketchup.
Notes
I have become a fan of my mini pancake pan ever since I got it. Some other recipes that you can make in this pan are Mini Butternut Squash Fritters and Mini Veggie Fritters. Some healthy savory breakfast ideas are Chickpea Flour Mini Quiche Muffins, Broccoli Oats Chilla/Pancakes, Oil Free Bulgur Wheat Spinach Idli and Kashmiri Methi Ghavan Recipe | Fenugreek Rice Flour Crepes.
These pancakes turned out delicious! The fresh taste of mint perfectly complimented the rustic flavor of bajra. I just use raw grated potato whenever I decide to make this because it's usually one of my "I didn't plan ahead so let me make something quick" dishes 🙂
Thanks Avani! Glad this has become your go-to recipe. 🙂
These look worthy of devouring by the dozen! So yummy! I love all the herbs you used.
I've never come across these but I have to say they really look like comfort food to me and I can imagine eating a whole plate!!!
I love potato pancakes!! The flavors in this sound AMAZING!!!!!!!!! YUM!
Looks like a Frittata and the pancake looks so appetizing. Yum! Thanks for sharing.