Thick spongy buckwheat flour pancakes sweetened with jaggery and cardamom — a traditional Kumaoni festival sweet made for Navratri and harvest celebrations.
Ingredients
1 cup buckwheat flour (kuttu ka atta — dark greyish flour; available at Indian stores particularly around Navratri)
1/4 cup jaggery — dissolved in 1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of salt
Warm water — approximately 1/4 cup to adjust consistency if needed
Ghee for cooking and to pour over when serving
Method
Dissolve jaggery in 1/2 cup warm milk. Stir until fully dissolved. Cool slightly.
Combine buckwheat flour, cardamom powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Add the jaggery-milk mixture. Stir to combine to a thick pourable batter. Add warm water only if needed — the batter should flow but not be thin.
Rest the batter for 10 minutes — buckwheat absorbs liquid and the batter thickens slightly.
Heat a flat pan on medium. Add 1/2 tsp ghee and spread across the surface.
Pour 3 to 4 tbsp of batter forming a circle about 8 cm wide and fairly thick.
Cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the surface looks dry and the bottom is golden.
Flip carefully — buckwheat pancakes are more fragile than wheat and may crack slightly at the edges.
Apply a little ghee. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes until the second side is golden.
Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with a generous pour of ghee on top.