Today we are waking up to these Bali inspired breakfast banana pancakes with a tropical twist. Caramelized banana, freshly grated coconut, refreshing lime juice and fragrant coconut sugar, such a familiar combination which bring you back to the Island of Gods.
The traditional recipe is a very easy and calling for only four ingredients: eggs, flour, water, and banana.
I decided I wanted to master all the nuances of a perfect banana pancake. This recipe is the result. Bellow, you can find a few tips which I`d like to share with you.
Tip 1: Use the right frying pan
My choice is cast iron or carbon steel, they’re pretty interchangeable.
I tried to use different pans for crepes. Good quality non-stick pan works well and prevents the sticking. But there are some problems. If you cook on high heat, you have a chance to burn a crepe, if you cook on a slow medium heat, then this is very long.
Hot cast-iron or carbon steel skillet gives to a crepe a beautifully browned crust and amazing taste. Preheat the skillet over low to medium heat about 5 minutes. The process of cooking goes faster if you use two frying pans.
Tip 2: Oil
Grapeseed oil in the batter is optional. But this helps the pancake to keep the shape and elasticity better.
Do I need to grease the skillet? I recommend using a canola cooking spray, it gives a thin layer and works perfectly.
Tip 3: Flour
This recipe is very versatile and will work with different types of flour – all purpose wheat flour, all purpose gluten-free flour mix, whole-wheat flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour mix.
Buckwheat flour has a unique nutty flavor and makes these crepes not only hearty and filling but much more interesting than plain white flour. Buckwheat flour is a protein and nutrient powerhouse. A naturally gluten-free and low-glycemic food, buckwheat flour is a healthy alternative to traditional flour. It’s surprising that buckwheat is not a grain. It’s actually a seed of an unrelated plant, meaning it fits perfectly into a gluten-free diet. This kind of flour does not contain gluten and starch and therefore can’t be the main flour in the baking. So I combine it with a gluten-free mix, but it could be brown rice flour, plain flour or whole wheat flour.
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Fresh coconut shreds are juicy and sweet. I’m addicted to it when I lived in Asia. The snow-white coconut flesh is important part of Asian cuisine. Each Asian housewife knows how to make homemade fresh coconut milk. And even more. Coconut flesh is used for desserts and cakes, sauces, curries and as toasted spicy topping for rice. I really missed fresh coconut flesh here in New Zealand. I tried to use desiccated coconut instead. But this is not the same thing. I was very happy to find a frozen shredded coconut in the supermarket section of Indian frozen vegetables. Just look at this the snow-white flesh. I like how it work in vegan cheesecake and gives amazing taste, texture, and color.
Ingredients
About 10 Crepes
- 3 free-range eggs (Size 7), room temperature
- 700 ml lukewarm regular milk or nut milk
- pinch of Himalayan salt
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 200 g gluten-free flour mix. I used gluten-free plain flour from Edmonds brand (maize, tapioca, rice flour, vegetable gum)
- oil for frying or Canola cooking spray
- 5 ripe but firm bananas, peeled and sliced
For serving:
- freshly grated coconut
- fresh lime juice
- coconut sugar
- fresh mint leaves for garnish
Directions
- Sift the flour with salt and baking soda, set aside. In the big bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, lukewarm milk, and oil. Add dry ingredients, whisking until smooth. The batter should be pourable. Add more milk if batter too thick, or more flour if it too runny.
- Heat frying pan over medium heat. Brush with a small amount of oil or use cooking spray. Place banana slices in the center. Pour in the batter covering the bottom of the pan evenly. Cook for about few minutes then turn and cook on the other side until the pancake is a golden brown.
- Serve pancake hot topped with coconut sugar, grated coconut and lime juice. Enjoy!
