Happy New Year dear readers! I know this space got ignored for a bit as the last few months have been hectic for everyone, to say the least. Diwali, Christmas, New Year’s…the revelry continued for quite a while! To shake myself out of the food-induced coma, I’m committing to a “30 days clean eating plan” — less refined sugar, no alcohol, and no processed foods.
My plan is not a take on any kind of “diet” plan restricting a particular food group. I am a firm believer in balanced eating. This is also NOT an attempt at losing weight. And certainly no planning to survive on cabbage soup! This is an exercise, though to get rid of all the toxins that may have accumulated over the last few months of insane ( albeit Yum!) eating and to rev up my metabolism. I will be eating delicious nutrient-dense wholesome foods that nourish and energize. And yes, I will be baking a lot…to appease my sweet tooth!!
To get the ball rolling, I have for you, these Vegan Cornmeal Zucchini Pancakes…
Now, these pancakes are super easy to make and will make any mealtime special. Cornmeal ( or polenta) combined with brown rice flour makes for a lovely crispy crust, while the inside stays soft..thank you zucchini! They are incredibly versatile too. How about adding some grated carrots or cauliflower or potatoes? Spice them up, spice them down…whatever rocks your boat!
Any number of toppings will work here. You could top these with piquant salsa, creamy yogurt dressing, hummus, tangy chutney. I made a quick simple salad of cherry tomatoes and fresh basil tossed in a bit of lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil with a dash of salt & pepper for seasoning.
You have to be a bit patient while making these. They don’t flip as easily as regular pancakes. They need to be cooked on low heat with the pan covered for about 4-5 minutes and they behave better. As patience is not my virtue, I did break a couple initially. But as I got the hang of it, they came out beautifully.
Its indeed satisfying when something so simple results in something so delightful. Eating healthy does not have to be drab…it can be glamorous and exciting!
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Vegan Cornmeal Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Cornmeal
- 1 cup Brown rice flour
- 2 pcs Green onion finely chopped
- 1 pc Green chillies finely chopped
- 1 small Zucchini grated and excess water squeezed out
- 1 small bunch Coriander finely chopped
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 300 ml Light coconut milk
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Flax seed powder mixed with 3 Tbsp water, let sit for 5 mins until thick
- 3-4 tbsp oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, brown rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt,chopped green chillies, green onions, coriander and zucchini.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix in the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and flax seed -water mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. This batter should be quite thick, not pourable consistency at all.
- Heat a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Drop a small ladleful of batter. I cooked 4 pancakes at a time.
- Turn down the heat to low and cover the pan for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the pancakes over and cook uncovered for another 4-5 minutes. Repeat till all your batter is used up.
- Serve warm with a fresh tomato basil salad or maybe some spicy salsa. Enjoy!
