vegan, gluten free, fat free, nut free, egg free, sugar free
This recipe first appeared on our iPhone App YogicFoods Baking in 2012 under the name Calm Down Pancakes.
Who doesn’t need some help to calm the nerves in these stressful times of lockdown and social distancing? Maybe we can help, a little. Celery is a humble super vegetable that does a great job calming our nervous system, at least according to the yogic teachings. And as we are YogicFoods, we like to follow those teachings. But first… how did we even get here (and how did we get celery?)
After weeks of unavailable delivery slots and a pantry that was quickly showing empty shelves, we were overjoyed with a grocery delivery! It is the simple things that give us joy 🙂 Unfortunately though, it were mostly the unpopular items that we could get; so no flour, no bananas, (everyone making banana bread out there, we see you!) and only one pack of toiletpaper …
What we DID get was celery, cilantro and apples and we already had chickpea flour, (also called besan). Lucky for us – and for you as it turns out – it’s all that we need to make celery pancakes! So we added some yogurt and drizzled the pancakes with honey and had a feast brunch this weekend, yum.
This recipe is actually a variation on chiles, a North Indian recipe which consists of a batter made of chickpea flour and water with added spices and vegetables. You can use this recipe to add any kind of veggies you have in your fridge. Ideal for when you cannot get out of the house or the grocery delivery slots are all booked – read: lockdown. Think of that leftover piece of ginger, slice of red pepper, half an onion, few peas or corn kernels. A little bit goes a long way. Spice it with what you have, salt and pepper, some chili powder or cumin seeds. Mint is GREAT and the original recipe actually calls for mint. But we couldn’t get mint, so we used what we had which was coriander. You can also skip it. As long as it has the consistency of the batter shown in the video, you are good to go.
This Celery Pancake recipe is one of many wonderful recipes we offer in our apps. And the latest update is out now! Click here to check out our apps on the App Store for more Vegetarian and Vegan recipes with a Yogic twist .
Because we cook and teach according to Yogic Diet, we give you the yogic benefits of the used ingredients for each recipe. Besides that we share ways to balance your chakras and included a meditation practice and meditation timer to balance your mind. All useful attributes during these days of lockdown and cabin fever.
To give you an idea of the Yogic health benefits of this recipe – apart from the fact that it is tasty – here is a quick view version:
- Apples are an excellent source of energy. They are good body cleansers. Rich in vitamins and minerals they are beneficial cooked or raw. If they are eaten at the end of the day they aid in digestion. Eaten in the beginning of the day they provide immediate energy for the day.
- Celery is beneficial for the colon and the digestive system as it functions as a intestines cleanser. Besides that is has a calming effect and strengthens the nervous system.
- Coriander is rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and dietary fiber. This herb is good for the heart and blood.
- Garbanzos, also called chickpeas, are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are mostly known for their high fiber content which aids the digestive system and helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, which results in a healthy heart.
- Turmeric is a root which is ground into a bright yellow powder. It is popular in the Indian cuisine. It is beneficial for joints, skin as well as the female reproductive organs and is mostly famous for being a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
Watch our instruction video for the recipe here and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel YogicFoods-Youtube and thumbs up our videos, we are ever so very grateful!
And here is the recipe, which is very simple;
- Finely chop half an apple, a celery stalk, few sprigs of coriander and a bit of ginger.
- Mix 1 1/4 cup of chickpea flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1 cup of water into a batter
- Stir in the chopped apple, celery, cilantro and ginger
- Heat a skillet and drop about 3 tbsp of batter to make a pancake. Let the sides get dry and the top form dents. Flip and heat the other side.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with honey, maple syrup, yogurt, butter, pickles.. anything you like!
Enjoy the recipe and stay safe!
Sat Nam and Namaste,
Caroline & Gurpreet