Try Sunday brunch the Ayurveda way! Whip up a batch of delicious, protein-rich chilla (mung bean) pancakes in as little as 15 minutes!
These versatile, easy-to-make recipes can be modified any number of ways to be sweet, savory, or anything in between.
Here are three tempting (and gluten-free!) variations of Ayurvedic pancakes to try:
- Cilantro Mung Bean Pancake Recipe
- Mung Bean Pancakes Stuffed with Veggies & Coconut Sauce Recipe
- Mung Bean Crepes with Blueberries & Coconut Caramel Sauce Recipe
Cilantro Mung Bean Pancake Recipe
YIELD: 6-8 pancakes
Prep time: 10 minutes + overnight soaking
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow split mung beans, washed 3-4 times and soaked in plenty of water to cover overnight
- Mung bean soak water
- ½ bunch cilantro (leaves and soft stems)
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- Ghee for frying
Directions
- Add the soaked mung beans to a blender, retaining their soak water (the soak water contains nutrients and is used to blend the mung beans).
- Add 1 cup of soak water to the blender to start with, plus the spices and cilantro.
- Blend the beans, water, and spices to a smooth pancake batter consistency, adding a little bit more water as needed.
- Warm up a cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of ghee.
- Once the pan is hot, but not smoking, ladle the batter onto the pan and quickly make a circular shape.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the underside appears golden. Add a little bit more ghee on top of the pancake, and then flip.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Cook crispy (more time) or soft (less time), according to your preference.
- Serve warm, with savory toppings of choice.
Mung Bean Pancakes Stuffed with Veggies & Coconut Sauce Recipe
YIELD: 8 stuffed pancakes
Prep time: 20 minutes + overnight soaking
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow split mung beans, washed 3-4 times and soaked in plenty of water to cover overnight
- Mung bean soak water
- Optional: 2 pinches of salt
Directions
- Add the soaked mung beans to a blender, retaining their soak water (the soak water contains nutrients and is used to blend the mung beans).
- Add 1 cup of soak water to the blender to start with, along with the optional salt.
- Blend until smooth, adding a little more water as needed to get a consistency between a pancake and crepe.
- Store in the refrigerator while making the vegetables and sauce.
Vegetable Filling
Ingredients
- 1 yellow zucchini
- 2 green zucchinis
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 3 medium carrots, peeled
- ½ celery stock (about 3-4 ribs)
- Olive oil to cook
Directions
- Chop the vegetables into small uniform cubes, the same size as possible for even cooking.
- Warm a sauté pan over medium heat. Once hot, add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil followed by the vegetables and sauté until tender.
- Set aside while preparing the coconut sauce.
Coconut Sauce
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz. canned whole coconut milk, or the light variety if preferred
- 2 tablespoons Maharishi AyurVeda Vata, Pitta, or Kapha Churna spice mix
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
- 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
- 2 pinches black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons kuzu root, dissolved with 5 tablespoons water to thicken the sauce as needed
- 5-8 leaves fresh basil
Directions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil or ghee. Once hot, add the spices and herbs.
- Sauté the spices for a few seconds, then add the coconut milk.
- Cook the sauce, whisking frequently to prevent sticking, for about 15 minutes until it starts to thicken.
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken enough, add the kuzu root mixture, whisking well until thick.
- Add the sautéed vegetable filling to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes more.
Pancake Assembly
- Warm up a cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of ghee.
- Once the pan is hot, but not smoking, ladle the batter onto the pan and quickly make a thin circle.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the underside appears golden. Add a little bit more ghee on top of the pancake, and then flip.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Cook crispy (more time) or soft (less time), according to your preference.
- Stuff the pancakes. Fill the pancakes with the vegetable and coconut mixture, and roll them up.
- Serve immediately. Or, roll them up and place in a large baking pan. Cover with a paper towel and foil, and place in the oven on a low setting to keep them warm.
Mung Bean Crêpes with Blueberries & Coconut Caramel Sauce Recipe
YIELD: 8 crepes
Prep time: 10-15 minutes + overnight soaking
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Crêpes
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow split mung beans, washed 3-4 times and soaked in plenty of water to cover overnight
- Mung bean soak water
- Ghee for frying
Directions
- Add the soaked mung beans to a blender, retaining their soak water (the soak water contains nutrients and is used to blend the mung beans).
- Add 1 cup of soak water to the blender to start with.
- Blend the beans and water to a thin crêpe batter consistency, adding a little bit more water as needed.
- Warm up a cast iron skillet or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of ghee.
- Once the pan is hot, but not smoking, ladle the batter onto the pan and quickly make a thin circle.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the underside appears golden. Add a little bit more ghee on top of the pancake, and then flip.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Set aside while making the crêpe filling.
Coconut Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz. canned whole coconut milk, or the light variety if preferred
- ½ cup palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2-3 tablespoons kuzu root, dissolved with 5 tablespoons water, for thickness
Directions
- Warm up a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add all the ingredients, whisking frequently to prevent sticking.
- Once thick, remove from the heat and set aside.
Blueberries
- 1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and drained
- 2 tablespoons palm sugar
Directions
- Warm a saucepan over low heat.
- Add the blueberries and sugar
- Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The berries will release their juices.
- Remove from the heat.
Pancake Assembly
- Warm up a crêpe.
- Place on a large plate, and fold the crepe in half.
- Place sauce inside the crêpe, followed by the blueberries, and close it.
- On a plate, drizzle the crêpe with more sauce and garnish with more blueberries.
- Serve immediately.
For more healthy food ideas, visit our Ayurvedic recipe blog.