Indian Banana Pancakes with Cardamom Recipe
Ripe banana gives these cardamom-scented pancakes a soft, almost custardy center, while yogurt adds gentle tang and helps the edges brown. The recipe makes about 12 small pancakes, each roughly 8 cm wide—small enough to cook through before the banana and sugar become too dark. For a dependable batter, the three peeled bananas should weigh about 270–300 g; very large bananas need a brief reduction before mixing.
Banana and cardamom appear together in many Indian sweets, including tea-time snacks from southern India. This wheat-flour-and-yogurt skillet pancake is a contemporary interpretation rather than a traditional named preparation such as Kerala-style pazham pori or unniyappam. Its spooned batter and soft center may also feel familiar to cooks who know racuchy-style pancakes.
Banana is not merely a topping here; it forms much of the batter and creates a tender, fragrant interior. Cardamom cuts through the fruit’s sweetness, while the yogurt keeps the pancakes from tasting heavy. Their compact 8 cm size produces a lightly crisp rim without leaving the middle raw.
Why this version works
- A target of 270–300 g peeled banana controls the moisture level that varies widely when bananas are measured only by number.
- Reducing unusually large bananas uses all three while preventing a loose batter that would spread and remain gummy.
- Measured 8 cm portions cook through evenly in 5–7 minutes without scorching the naturally sweet batter.
- Medium-low heat allows the center to set before the banana, sugar, and yogurt make the exterior too dark.
- Brief mixing limits gluten development, preserving a soft rather than rubbery texture.
Chef's tips
The ripest bananas give the fullest flavor, especially when their skins are heavily spotted, but they also contain more available moisture. Keep the pancakes uniform by portioning each one with the same spoon and spreading it immediately. Between batches, wipe away any dark crumbs before adding more oil because the sweet batter leaves bits that burn quickly.
How to serve
Serve the pancakes straight from the pan while their edges are still lightly crisp. They are sweet enough to eat on their own, though they also pair well with plain yogurt, a small drizzle of honey, or a light dusting of icing sugar.
Watch out for
- Do not use more than 300 g of unreduced banana purée; one or two spoonfuls of extra flour would not reliably correct a very wet batter.
- Avoid making saucer-sized pancakes. Anything much wider than 8 cm can brown outside while remaining pasty in the middle.
- Cardamom and ripe banana can mask early scorching, so check the underside after about 2½ minutes and adjust the heat as needed.
- Do not press the pancakes after flipping, as this compacts their soft centers and forces out steam.
- Very runny yogurt will loosen the batter; use plain yogurt with a spoonable consistency.
Substitutions
- White wheat flour or finely milled whole-wheat atta may be used gram for gram; atta produces a slightly denser, nuttier pancake.
- Caster sugar and regular granulated sugar are interchangeable at the stated 40 g quantity.
- Use any neutral frying oil for the listed 3 tablespoons.
- Either thick or regular unsweetened plain yogurt works, but very thin yogurt should be strained before measuring.
- Freshly ground cardamom or pre-ground cardamom may be used in the same quantity.
Ingredients
- banana - 3 pieces
- wheat flour - 150 g
- plain yogurt - 100 g
- sugar - 40 g
- baking powder - 1 teaspoon
- cardamom - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt - 1 pinch
- oil - 3 tablespoons
Preparation
- Peel the bananas and check their total peeled weight. The recipe is calibrated for 270–300 g. If they weigh more than 300 g, mash all three and cook the purée in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 5–8 minutes, stirring constantly, until reduced to about 300 g. Let it cool until merely warm. If the bananas are already within range, mash them directly in a large bowl until mostly smooth.
- Stir the yogurt, sugar, cardamom, and salt into the banana until evenly combined and the sugar begins to dissolve.
- Add the wheat flour and baking powder. Fold with a spoon only until no dry flour remains; small lumps are preferable to vigorous mixing. Leave the batter for 5 minutes. It should fall slowly from the spoon and hold a soft mound for a moment rather than run across the bowl.
- Heat a wide frying pan over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add about 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl it into a thin, even film. The oil should shimmer gently; if it smokes, remove the pan from the heat briefly.
- For each pancake, add about 2 heaped tablespoons of batter, then use the back of the spoon to spread it into an 8 cm round about 1 cm thick. Cook only 3 or 4 at a time so the pan temperature remains steady.
- Cook the first side for 3–4 minutes. Flip when the edges look set and matte, a few bubbles remain open on the surface, and the underside is an even deep gold. If the base darkens before the top begins to set, lower the heat.
- Turn the pancakes carefully and cook for another 2–3 minutes. They are ready when the second side is golden and the center springs back lightly when pressed rather than feeling wet or loose.
- Transfer the pancakes to paper towel briefly. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding the rest of the oil in small amounts as the pan becomes dry. Serve warm.
Storage
Store the pancakes in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat in a dry pan or in the oven until they are warm again and slightly crisp., You can also freeze them in a single layer, then reheat straight from the freezer in a pan over low heat.
What makes this version worth repeating is the contrast between the browned, gently crisp surface and the almost pudding-soft banana center. Keeping the pancakes small brings out that contrast far better than cooking them as large breakfast pancakes.
