Indian Stuffed Pancakes
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno (about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units).It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews.Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Yield: makes 4 pancakes, serves 2 generously
Ingredients: (see optional substitutions table below, too)
for the pancakes
neutral oil, such as groundnut oil, for frying
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 small green chile, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3cm (=1 inch) ginger, finely chopped
75g (=⅗ cup/2.6 oz) plain (AKA all-purpose) flour
75g (=⅗ cup/2.6 oz) chickpea (gram) flour
350ml (=1½ cups) hemp milk
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
for the filling
neutral oil, such as groundnut, for frying
500g (=1.1 lbs) carrots, peeled and diced
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 tsp ground turmeric
Process:
Over a medium-high heat, dry-toast the cumin seeds in a medium frying pan for 1-2 minutes until aromatic.
Add 1½ tsp oil to the pan along with the chile, garlic and ginger. Fry for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Transfer this mixture to a bowl. Don’t wash up the frying pan – it will be used again.
In a medium pot boil the carrots for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop them cooking.
In the same frying pan as before, heat 4 tsp oil over a med-high heat. Fry the mustard seeds for 1-2 minutes. When they start to pop, add the sliced onion and fry for 3 minutes.
Stir in the turmeric and fry for 3 more minutes.
Add the boiled carrots to the frying pan and fry for 4 minutes, stirring so they’re well coated. Set aside.
For the pancakes, sift the plain and chickpea flours into a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper and fried chilli, garlic and ginger.
Pour in a third of the milk and gently whisk it into the flour. Pour another third in and whisk again, followed by the last of the milk, until you have a smooth, runny consistency. Leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
In a good non-stick, wide frying pan, heat ½ tsp oil over a medium-high heat. Pour in 100ml (a little less than ½ a cup) batter and tilt the pan to spread out the batter.
Leave the pancake to cook for between 90 seconds and 2 minutes, lifting the edges with a spatula to check it’s not burning. It should be golden brown and crisp.
Flip the pancake and cook for a further minute. Transfer to a warm plate and cover with a tea towel (dish cloth) to keep warm while you cook the other pancakes. Alternatively, keep warm in an oven on low.
Place a serving spoonful of the carrots in a line to one side of a pancake. Roll the pancake up around the line of carrots. Repeat with the other three pancakes and serve.