Chai flavoured Barley Pancakes

If you follow me on instagram (if you aren't, why not dude??) then you may have picked up on my enjoyment of big breakfasts on the weekend. During the working week, I don't always find the time for breakfast, especially during these winter days when I am forced to awaken when it's still dark outside, but on the weekend I like to have fun with my breakfasts. I wasn't always this way though. Once upon a time, I used to find breakfast a boring chore and was stuck in a grey world of weetabix and cornflakes. But something changed in me about two years ago. I'm not sure what exactly changed. But I think it might have had something to do with finding ways not to study or write an essay...

Anywho, to mark my last day off work today, I decided to try out something new with the bag of barley flour sitting in my kitchen. I don't make pancakes very often, but they make a great breakfast treat when you have those extra few minutes in the morning. There are all sorts of variations these days of more healthy versions of pancakes that don't use regular white flour. I have previously tried making them using my own oat flour but I wasn't too much of a fan of the taste and I much prefer the taste of these barley flour pancakes. Whilst barley may not gluten free, as I mentioned in my Barley tea recipe, there still remain many health benefits associated with this grain.

I smeared my pancakes with raw honey and topped them with banana, pomegranates and pistachio nuts. My recipe yielded three big pancakes, but if you were making them a smaller size you should be able to get at least double the number. I'm also pretty rubbish at flipping pancakes to be honest, so I used a small frying pan and filled the whole pan with the batter. Once I saw little bubbles forming on the top of the pancake, (thanks Nigella for that tip) I used a regular butter knife to help me flip the pancake over.

The ground cinnamon and cardamom in this recipe is purely optional. However, I thought it was a fun way to spice up the pancakes, and my Bengali-ness just couldn't resist adding spices at any opportunity.

Chai Flavoured Barley Pancakes

Serves 1-2

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 10-15  minutes

by Abida at The Red Lychee

Ingredients:

1 cup organic barley flour (I got mine from here)

1 egg lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk (plus more if necessary)

1 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp ground cardamom 
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tablespoon oil or a knob of butter

Method:

1) Add barley flour, ground spices and baking powder to a bowl. Add in the egg and stir together. Add milk a little bit at a time and stir to mix. It should make a loose pancake batter that drips from your spoon. If the mixture is too thick, add a little bit of milk at a time. If it is too thin, add a little bit 

2) Place a skillet or frying pan on a medium heat. Add oil or butter and allow to heat up. Pour in a little bit of the batter using a spoon or ladle. Cook for a two to three minutes on the first side until small bubbles start forming on the top of the pancake. Flip pancake over and allow the other side to cook for another two to three minutes. When the pancakes is full cooked, transfer to a serving plate. Repeat this step to make the rest of the pancakes. 

3) Add toppings of your choice and serve. 

And that's it, all! Wherever you are in the world, take the time this week to treat yourself to some pancakes. You won't regret it.