Passport & Plate - Rainbow Pancakes
South Africa | Thursday, March 13, 2014 | 6 photos
Ingredients
For the pancakes - makes about 8 pancakes.
1 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg
1 TBS oil
1 TBS sugar
1/2 TSP baking powder
1 TBS lemon juice
about 1 & 1/2 cups water or milk, as needed
about 1/2 TBS oil for frying
Note: The pancake yield can easily be made larger by increasing the ingredients by 1, 2, 3 or 4 etc
For the filling:
Seasonal fruit of your choice, peeled and diced. (I used grapes, nectarines, kiwi, banana,apple, mango, pineapple, guava and passion fruit)
Greek or plain yoghurt
Marshmallows, cut up into smaller pieces (or just mini marshmallows)
Cinnamon
Sugar
How to prepare this recipeSift the flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Make a small well in the centre and add all the remaining ingredients except the water. Do not mix. Add about half a cup water(milk) and start mixing slowly, either with a fork, whisk or electric beater. As the mixture thickens add the remaining water(milk) mixing quickly until the batter reaches the correct consistency. It should be quite runny. Let the batter stand for at least 15mins.
While the batter is standing, prepare your fruit. Remember that some fruit will go brown when exposed so cut those just before serving. Arrange fruit in different bowls and set aside. If you are using regular sized marshmallows, cut them smaller with a kitchen scissors and set aside. Mix together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, set aside.
Return to your pancake batter. It should have thickened a bit whilst it was standing. Add more water (milk) as necessary.
Heat the oil in the pan at a medium to high heat setting. I like my stove to be hot! When the oil is heated pour off the excess oil so that only a thin coating remains on the pan. Use a small jug or ladle to spoon the batter into the pan. Tip the pan so that the batter evenly coats the base of the pan, return to the heat. Try to ensure that there isn't too much batter otherwise the pancake will come out quite fat. You will soon learn what works for your size pan. Cook the pancake until little holes start appearing and the edges start to curl. Flip over and cook the other side. When cooked place on a plate and keep covered until ready to serve.
To assemble the pancakes: Place pancake on plate and pile your chosen fruits on one half. On top of the fruit add the marshmallow. Spoon over about 2 - 3 TBS of yoghurt. Sprinkle some pre-mixed cinnamon and sugar on top. Try not too put too much filling in as it becomes quite full and difficult to fold. Fold the empty side of the pancake over the filling, so it looks like a half circle and then fold the half circle into a triangle or wedge shape.
Eat with a knife and fork because it gets messy.
The story behind this recipeAt the grand age of 23, I went on my first ‘solo’ trip.
Destination? Cape Town!
Oh, Cape Town, with her beautiful beaches and creamy handmade ice-cream, that small bakery tucked around the corner in the holiday-spirited Kalk Bay, a cool refuge from the scorching midday heat, supplying me with the most delectable sticky Florentines. The Eastern food bazaar, in the heart of the city, a place where I jostled others for elbow space, consuming fiery curry scooped up with the softest, buttery naan bread.
Every year, I've always gone back. I've picked plump red strawberries from the farm, toured the cheese factory, climbed mountains, stuck my head out of train windows, been sick from handcrafted 98% cocoa chocolate and I've barely scratched the surface!
The end of my first trip was a sad affair, readying myself for reality and facing an empty student account, and worst, saying goodbye to Cape Town - a place one falls in love with, even on a short stay. So there I was, one morning near the end, lying awake, listening for signs of life from the others. Being a girl rather interested in food, my mind naturally wandered to ‘what-should-I-have-for-breakfast?’.
“Give me something amazing!” cried my stomach.
Who am I not to obey?
My mind fastened on an idea and I rounded up my travel mates and frogmarched them to the shop, pajamas and all.
“We need this! And that! And this! Definitely this!”
Into the basket they went, a vague idea taking shape as we walked down the aisles
Back in the kitchen, I mix up a bowl of batter.
(Eggs, flour, sugar, a little of this, a little of that, add more sugar, whisk!)
Soon the pancakes are ready, warm and stacked up high.
Bowls of sweet smelling fruit stand on the counter, a rainbow! Mango, strawberries, peaches, banana, kiwi and pineapple, alongside a fat tub of double thick Greek yoghurt and plump pink marshmallows.
I address my audience. “Are you ready for this?”
“Ready for what?” they ask, as I compose a sweet Cape summer symphony on their plates.
