Indian Banana Pancakes with Cardamom Recipe
These small banana pancakes are inspired by South Indian sweet snacks that are often served with afternoon tea or for breakfast. In this version, mashed banana is mixed with flour, yogurt, a little sugar and cardamom, then the pancakes are fried until golden – soft in the middle, slightly crisp on the edges and smelling like a cross between Polish racuchy and an Indian dessert. It’s a great way to use up very ripe bananas that no one wants to eat raw anymore.
In India, ripe bananas are often turned into various fried snacks and pancakes that are served with tea or as a quick breakfast.
These pancakes are reminiscent of Polish racuchy, but instead of yeast they use baking powder and have a pronounced cardamom aroma typical of Indian desserts., Thanks to the large amount of banana they are naturally moist and sweet, so they don’t need many toppings., They are also distinctive because you can fry them very quickly without any rising time, making them an ideal “rescue” for overripe bananas.
Dlaczego ta wersja działa
- Ripe bananas naturally sweeten the batter, so you need less sugar.
- Yogurt adds moisture and lightness, so the pancakes don’t turn out dry.
- Cardamom gives them a distinctive “Indian” aroma with minimal effort.
Chef's tips
The most common mistake is using bananas that are not ripe enough – firm, yellow fruit doesn’t mash well and gives a less sweet flavor., The best bananas have brown spots on the skin, are soft and very aromatic., If the batter turns out too thin (bananas can vary), add 1–2 tablespoons of flour until it holds its shape on the spoon., If the pancakes seem greasy after frying, next time use slightly less oil and drain them more thoroughly on paper towel.
How to serve
This is a great breakfast for a lazy weekend or a sweet snack with afternoon coffee., They pair well with milk tea or plain black tea, which cuts through the sweetness., For a party, you can serve them on a cake stand with a small bowl of yogurt and honey for dipping.
Na co uważać
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour, or the pancakes will be tough instead of fluffy.
- Watch the oil temperature – if it’s too hot, the pancakes will burn on the outside while staying raw in the middle.
Zamienniki
- You can replace the wheat flour with light spelt flour while keeping a similar texture.
- Yogurt can be swapped for buttermilk or kefir if that’s what you have in the fridge.
- Cardamom can be replaced with cinnamon or a gingerbread spice mix for a more spiced aroma.
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 mash them thoroughly with a fork in a large bowl until you get a smooth purée with no large chunks.
- Add the yogurt, sugar, cardamom and a pinch of salt, and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder and gently mix with a spoon just until the ingredients come together; the batter should be thick but spoonable, similar to batter for racuchy-style pancakes.
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat; the oil should shimmer slightly but not smoke.
- Spoon the batter into the pan, forming small pancakes about the size of a saucer, leaving space between them as they will puff up a little.
- Fry the pancakes for 2–3 minutes on one side, until small bubbles appear on the surface and the edges start to set and turn lightly golden, then flip and fry for another 1–2 minutes, until golden brown.
- Transfer the fried pancakes to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil, and continue frying the remaining batter, adding a little more oil to the pan if needed.
- Serve warm, on their own or with yogurt, honey, or dusted with icing sugar.
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.
I make these pancakes whenever there are two sad, brown bananas in the fruit bowl that nobody wants anymore., They’re also my emergency “cake” for unexpected guests – I fry small pancakes and serve them on a plate like cookies.
