Uttapam Inspired Savory Gluten Free Pancakes…With Kimchi!

Starting the day with vegetables in pancakes rather than fruit makes me feel so good. This gluten-free crepe recipe was inspired by uttapam we have enjoyed in India as well as Korean kimchi pancakes. The tradition of serving a pickled vegetable with most meals is shared by both Indian and Korean cuisines, so why not marry the two when it is delicious to do so!

Makes 6 medium sized pancakes (good for 2 adults depending how hungry you are!). Our 2 small kids love these pancakes, so I double the recipe so we have leftovers.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose baking flour is great)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 3 Tbsp juice from the kimchi jar or from another pickle jar in your fridge
  • 2 Tbsps gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp agave
  • 3 Tbsp kimchi
  • 1 diced tomato
  • 3 Tbsp diced red onion
  • 3 Tbsp – 1/2 cup chopped quick-cooking greens like spinach, arugula, bok chok or gai lan leaves
  • 3 Tbsp of unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
  • fresh cilantro for garnish
  • unsweetened coconut yogurt with sriracha sauce for dipping
  • non-stick pan and/or vegan butter for frying

Artistry:

  1. Combine the gluten-free flour, water, kimchi or pickle juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar and agave until a nice dough forms. It will look more like thick cake batter than thin pancake batter.
  2. Start heating the griddle or skillet where you will fry up the pancakes
  3. Massage or stir the tomato, onion and greens into the dough. Add shredded coconut here too if you like.
  4. The pancake will brown more evenly with vegan butter or another slow burning oil on the griddle, so add some of that to the griddle if you like.
  5. Scoop about 1/3 cup of the batter on the griddle (non-stick or with a light coat of vegan butter) and flatten a little.
  6.  Then add as many pancakes as you can fit.
  7. Flip the pancake when it’s golden brown on one side and flatten it a little more with the spatula and cook until golden brown on both sides.
  8. Serve hot with unsweetened vegan yogurt. Coconut yogurt tastes more like an India coconut chutney on the side. Add a little Asian spicy sauce like sriracha. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Doubled recipe for 2 adults and 2 little kids if you also want leftovers:

  • 4 cups of gluten free flour (Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose baking flour is great)
  • 2 cups of water
  • 6 Tbsp juice from the kimchi jar or from another pickle jar
  • 4 Tbsps gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 4 tsp agave
  • 6 Tbsp kimchi
  • 2 diced tomato
  • 6 Tbsp diced red onion
  • 6 Tbsp – 1/2 cup chopped quick-cooking greens like spinach, arugula, bok chok or gai lan leaves
  • 6 Tbsp of unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)