Stuffed Eggplants

This is another traditional Maharashtrian recipe. There are a lot of variations, but this is the one my mother always made. It never fails to take me back to the times when I came home from school and found this waiting. It tastes amazing when it’s just cooked, but the flavors are more complex the next day. So make a lot!!

The eggplants used in this are small Indian eggplants. Grocery stores in US don’t usually carry these. Berkeley bowl in Berkeley, CA was an exception. We buy them from the Indian store when they’re fresh. They need to be used fast since they’ll rot sooner than other veggies ( Accor to my observations). This recipe is also completely vegan!

Servings: 2, Prep time: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Small Indian Eggplants 5-6
Yellow onion 1 medium
Garlic cloves 3-4
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chili powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1.5 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Jaggery crumbles 2 tbsp
Lemon juice 1/2 lemon’s worth
Salt to taste
Canola oil 3 tbsp

Instructions

Finely chop onion and garlic, add to a bowl and set aside
Remove stems of the eggplant. Slice into the eggplant from the cut side, about 3/4 of the way in. Make 2 cuts, so you have four quadrants. DO NOT cut all the way through!
Add all the spices, lemon juice, salt and jaggery to the onion and garlic. Mix well
Stuff this mixture into the eggplants.
Heat the oil in a deep pan, then add the prepared eggplants and any leftover stuffing.
Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom. That’s it!

Tips

Make sure the eggplants are fresh. They will take forever to cook if they have been in your fridge for a while and they might taste bitter
Make sure you don’t cut the eggplants all the way into four pieces. If you do, it will still taste great, but won’t be stuffed anymore. 😂
This needs a little more oil than other recipes, but do not skimp on it! It will not taste as great.

I hope you will love this recipe as much as I do! As always, let me know in the comments if you made this.. 😬💜

Asparagus Lemon Orzo

I’m posting after forever! I’ve been very busy with school and I post more often on my Instagram channel now. Here’s a barcode for that! Follow me if you want! 😊💜

So today I’m gonna share a super fast and easy pasta recipe. This can be eaten cold, but the butter in it taste best when warm 😉. It is also completely vegan! I make this when I don’t have much time or I have loads of asparagus to finish.

Servings: 2, Prep time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Orzo pasta 3 oz
Asparagus 1 lb
Vegan butter 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 2-3 tbsp
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Nutritional yeast (optional) 1 tbsp
Garlic powder 1 tbsp
Onion powder 1 tbsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Trim the asparagus from the bottom to remove the woody and chewy parts.
Arrange asparagus on a baking tray, then sprinkle oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well and bake for 10 minutes
Remove to a chopping board and dice into bite size pieces
In the meantime, boil the orzo pasta according to package directions. In heavily salted water
Drain the pasta. Mix in butter, asparagus, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and more salt if needed. That’s it!

Tips

I trim off the ends of asparagus, but you can peel the outer layers to make the parts tender. It’s still too chewy for me, but I’ve seen friends being fine with it
When I say heavily salt the water, I mean HEAVILY! Ideally the pasta should absorb enough salt so we don’t need to add more at the end
The nutritional yeast is optional, but it gives a nice umami and cheese flavor to the pasta
You can skip the butter if you plan to serve this cold. It tastes good that way too.
The lemon juice measurement is entirely according to taste. I dislike extremely sour things, so I add half a teaspoon extra to my husband’s bowl!

This is a recipe that makes me enjoy asparagus, which doesn’t happen often. 😅 It is also super easy to make and very delicious! I hope you’ll make this one, and as always let me know what you thought in the comments. 😊

Green Beans Sabzi

It’s hard to find traditional Maharashtrian dishes in the US. Most restaurants sell typical North Indian food like heavy curries, or South Indian food. I’ve also seen plenty of Gujarati places, but I’ve only found one restaurant for Mahatashtrian food. This came as a shock to me considering almost every family I know has a satellite family in the US. Slowly things which I didn’t like earlier became luxury dishes which required effort on my end to make. Gradually, I started loving most of these dishes. Green beans sabzi is one such dish. 😊

While this dish is made with French beans, the green beans found in supermarkets across the US work just fine. Of course, if you find French beans in an Indian market use those!

Servings: 4, Prep time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Green beans OR French beans 1 lb
Raw coconut (do not use dry coconut) 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves 6
Jaggery 3 tbsp OR Sugar 2 tbsp
Lime juice 1/2 lime
Salt as required
Canola oil 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Asaphoetida OR Hing a pinch
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Chili powder 1/2 tsp
Water 2 tbsp

Instructions

Chop green beans into 1/2 inch pieces
Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves
Heat the oil in a pan till smoking
Add the mustard seeds and pop them
Add the rest of the spices. Make sure they do not burn.
Immediately add in the garlic, green beans, water and salt. Cover and cook till beans are tender. Add more water if sabzi is burning and beans are not cooked yet
Add the coconut, jaggery and lime juice. Mix and sauté for 2-3 minutes. That’s it!

Tips

It is really easy to burn spices in hot oil. Remove the pan from heat for a few minutes to reduce the oil temperature after popping mustard seeds if needed. This will make sure the oil temperature isn’t too high for the spices
Sometimes the sabzi will stick to the bottom and start burning before the beans are cooked. Green beans shouldn’t take more than 10-12 minutes, but they’re temperamental. Add water 2 tbsp at a time till the beans are cooked if this happens
Although jaggery and sugar are both sweeteners, jaggery is so much healthier for you. Additionally, it gives an earthier flavor to the dish.
If you don’t have lime juice, use about 2 tsp vinegar. It gives almost the same acidity
The coconut used here is raw wet coconut. This can be found in the frozen section at any Indian grocery store. Do not use dry coconut here, it will not taste the same.

This is just one of the many traditional Maharashrian dishes I’ve started cooking at home. It gives me a feeling of nostalgia, and also ensures that I learn my own culture and respect it. This has also made me realize just how many things are lost with people. My grandma used to make the best Satori (a stuffed sweet roti), but nobody in my family really knows how to make them anymore. Everyone tries, but it’s just different. I want to learn as much as I can from the people around me so I can remember them every time I make these dishes.

So I hope you try this out, and it inspires you to start making dishes from your family as well! As always, let me know how it goes in the comments. 😬

Stir Fried Gochujang Noodles

I’m obsessed with Gochujang. I add it to anything and everything. My husband loves it just as much as I do, if not more. So it was obvious I’d add it to stir fried noodles. It just took longer since I always have chili oil on hand. Now that I’ve added it to noodles once, I can never go back.

This recipe is pretty adaptable, in the sense that you can add any vegetables you have on hand. The only required things are the condiments. Gochujang can be hard to find if you live in a smaller town or in a country where such things are not easily available. Fear not, Amazon carries everything. However, definitely buy from your local Asian grocery store if you have one! Did I mention this recipe is completely vegan? 😬

Servings: 2, Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dry udon noodles 4 oz
Green onions 4
Garlic cloves 4-5
Ginger 1 1/2 inch piece
Mushrooms 8 oz
Cabbage 1/4 head
Carrot 1 medium or 3/4 cup matchstick carrots
Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
Dark soy sauce 1 tsp
Gochujang 3 tbsp
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp (optional for garnishing)

Instructions

Finely chop the green onions and garlic. Peel and grate the ginger
Shred the cabbage and slice the mushrooms. If using a carrot, julienne it. I prefer matchstick carrots since they’re ready kind of julienned.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to remove extra starch.
Heat oil in a pan on high heat. Sauté the white part of green onions, ginger and garlic for 1-2 minutes
Add mushrooms and cook till all the water evaporates
Add in the cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add in the carrots and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The vegetables should still have a bite to them
Add in the soy sauces and Gochujang. Mix and sauté for another minute.
Add the cooked noodles and mix well.
Sprinkle the green part of the green onions and sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!

Tips

You might have noticed the recipe is missing salt. That’s because all the condiments we are using are quite salty. However, you can add some in after tasting at the end if you feel it needs more.
I used the vegetables specified here, but you can use any vegetable. Eg: Broccoli and zucchini would taste great here.
I prefer udon noodles for this recipe, but use any noodles you want. Ramen noodles would go well as well!

This has quickly become one of our favorite weeknight meals. It’s not hard and gets done pretty fast. The cooking time seems high, but that’s due to the noodles. If you use noodles that cook fast, it’ll be shorter! Also, feel free to use pre chopped vegetables or frozen veggies to reduce cooking time.. As always, let me know how it went in the comments! 😊

Vegan Potstickers

I absolutely love wontons, dumplings, potstickers of any kind. When we decided to go vegan, I wanted to try a protein rich vegan filling. Although I don’t tolerate tofu well, there’s not too much tofu in one serving. So it works out fine.

This recipe was adapted from foodie takes flight. She has amazing vegan recipes on her website! Go check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. 😬

Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 minutes, Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Dumpling or wonton wrappers (about 50)
Super firm Tofu 8 oz
Carrot 1 medium
Onion 1/2 medium
Mushrooms 8 oz
Garlic 2 cloves
Ginger 1 inch piece
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Ground pepper 1/2 tsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Water 1/2 cup

Instructions

Finely chop carrots, garlic and onion. Peel and grate the ginger. Dice the mushrooms
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 1-2 minutes
Add mushrooms and cook till water evaporates
Add the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes
Crumble in the tofu and mix well.
Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Cool completely
Wet the edges of the dumpling wrapper. Place about 1 tbsp filling in the center and fold in your favorite way!
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a non stick pan and place dumplings in the oil.
Once the bottom has a good sear, add in the water. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or till the potstickers are cooked through and the water has evaporated.
Enjoy with you favorite dipping sauce!

Tips

Folding wontons or dumplings can be hard. I love Marion Grasby’s way of folding them. So easy! Here’s a link: https://youtu.be/tEMvPKTlgHs
I freeze half of the dumplings I wrap, so we just need to cook them the next time I crave some
These will taste good with any dipping sauce, but the best sauce is a mix of soy sauce and chili oil. That’s all you need!
Here, I’ve made potstickers. However, you can cook these any way you want. Boil then, steam them or fry them!
You can also customize the filling. Eg: add some green onions! Make sure to cook the veggies so there’s very little moisture in the filling.

These are great as appetizers, for adding to a soup or on noodles and just as a full meal by themselves. These are also completely vegan! As always, let me know how it went in the comments.. 😊

Cauliflower and Potato Dry Curry (Sabzi)

Every once in a while I crave simple Indian food. There is no rival when it comes to cauliflower sabzi. I bought a small head of cauliflower this time, and it was starting to go bad. So my husband decided to cook it up with some potatoes for an easy lunch. We ate it with some frozen rotis from the Indian store. We always have a couple of these in the freezer for when we don’t feel like making fresh ones. Always buy Haldiram frozen rotis… The rest aren’t as good. 😬

This sabzi is a favorite among caterers, and anyone packing their own lunchbox. It’s super easy to make a. Plus, it freezes really well! It is also completely vegan! To be honest, most Indian curries are vegan, at least the ones we make at home daily. Only the rich curries served in restaurants aren’t vegan.. Anyway, here’s our recipe for potato and cauliflower sabzi!

Servings: 2, Prep time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Potatoes 2 medium
Cauliflower 1 medium head
Canola oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds (black) 1 tsp
Asaphoetida powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Chili powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Water as needed

Instructions

Cut the cauliflower head into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1/4 inch pieces as well
In a pan, heat the oil till smoking. Then add the mustard seeds and let them pop
Add the asaphoetida and watch it bubble for about half a minute
Add the chopped veggies, cover and cook for 2 mins
Add all the spices and salt. Stir well, then add a splash of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.
That’s it! Serve and enjoy..

Tips

The asaphoetida I have is from an excellent source and it is very strong. So, I only add a punch if it. The asaphoetida we get in Indian stores in the US isn’t all that great. Add 1/4 tsp if you have the US version.
I cut the veggies in different sized pieces so I can cook them all together. If you want the sabzi to look very pretty, cut all veggies in the same size and add the cauliflower to the pan after the potatoes have cooked for about 5 minutes so the cauliflower doesn’t over cook.
Eat this with any bread on hand! You can also stuff this inside a sandwich, or mix into rice and dal. I have also made Indian style burritos out of this sabzi.. Basically, you can eat this as you like. It’ll taste good with everything
Do not change the proportion of garam masala and other spices. This is a garam masala forward recipe, and that is what you should mostly taste

Once we start eating this sabzi, we know we’ll end up finishing it. I always try making enough for two meals. It never makes it past the first meal. 🤣 This dish is only as good as the quality of your produce, so make sure it’s top notch. I hope you guys give this a try, and as always let me now how it goes in the comments… 😬

Cold Noodles with Peanut Dressing

Austin gets pretty hot and humid in summer. I’d become used to pleasant weather, so Austin summers hit me pretty hard. This was the first time I actively looked for cold dishes. Cold noodles are one of my favorites. They’re more satisfying than a salad, but also cool down your system. This dish is also perfect to finish off any leftover veggies. To make it even better, the dish is completely vegan! 😬

Servings: 2, Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Rice noodles 8 oz
Carrot 1 medium
Cucumber 1/2 medium
Button Mushrooms 10-12
Unsweetened Peanut butter 1/4 cup
Soy sauce 2 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Sugar 2 tsp
Roasted sesame oil 1 tsp
Water 3 tbsp
Salt as required
Toasted sesame seeds 2 tsp
Cilantro for garnishing

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar, water and sugar. Taste and add salt if needed. The dressing should be a salty since this is the only source of seasoning for the dish. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill
Slice the mushrooms thickly and sauté till all the water has evaporated. Set aside to cool
Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain and toss with a little bit of sesame oil to prevent sticking.
Julienne the carrot and cucumber.
In a bowl, add the noodles, the dressing and the vegetables. Toss thoroughly so that the noodles are well coated.
Serve in a bowl and too with chopped cilantro!

Tips

The dressing needs a small amount of water for everything to dissolve and become homogeneous. The quantity of water will depend on the peanut butter used. I prefer using all natural thick peanut butter and therefore it needs more water to work here. If your peanut butter is runny, add water 1 tsp at a time until the required consistency is reached
Unsweetened peanut butter is the best kind of peanut butter. I always make sure the ingredients listed are just peanuts. However, if you use a sweetened peanut butter, do not add any sugar to the dressing
The dressing can be made 24 hours in advance. Just cook the noodles and toss when you are ready to eat
I like to run cold water through my noodles after they’re done cooking and massage them a bit. This helps to release any extra starch on the noodles!
Do not toss the noodles with the dressing until you are ready to eat. They will become soggy. To pack these in a lunch box, give the dressing separately in a small container
I’ve used carrots, mushrooms and cucumbers here, but you can really add any vegetable you want. The only required vegetable is cucumber.
The recipe can also be made gluten free. Just find gluten free versions on soy sauce etc…

This is one of our favorite dishes to eat for lunch. It’s light and refreshing. We can both go back to work even after consuming humongous smiths if cold noodles!😄 I hope you give this a try and as always let me know how it goes… 😊

Chocolate Almond Vegan Cookies

No picnic is complete without dessert, and we love to take these vegan chocolate almond cookies! I adapted the recipe from pick up limes. The original recipe can be found on this link: https://www.pickuplimes.com/recipe/almond-brownie-cookies-44. A lot of the quantities remain the same, but I used different methods and slightly different quantities for the wet ingredients.

The recipe is competent vegan and has a very strong chocolate flavor. Almonds provide a nice crunch to the cookies. The texture of the cookies is a cross between a cookie and a scone. Since these do not have eggs, the extra baking powder I added helps with the rise. It was completely by accident, but I prefer them this way. 😅

Servings: 8 cookies, Prep time: 40 minutes, Cooking time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients

Ground flaxseeds 1 tbsp
Water 2 tbsp
Vegan chocolate 2.6 oz
Coconut oil (solid) 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp
Brown sugar lightly packed 1/4 cup
Chopped almonds 2 tbsp plus more for garnish
Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
All purpose flour 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
Plant based milk (I used oat) 2-3 tsp

Instructions

Mix the ground flaxseeds with water in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes to gel
Finely chop the chocolate. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a large microwave safe bowl, then melt in 10 second intervals. Stir between each interval so chocolate melts evenly
Add the brown sugar and mix well. Then add the vanilla and baking powder, and mix.
Add the gelled flaxseed, chopped almonds and salt and mix till well combined.
Mix in the all purpose flour. Add the milk 1 tsp at a time until the mixture holds together when squeezed in the palm. Rest the mixture for 15 minutes
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to take the cookie mixture onto your hand and make a ball of it using your palms. Place on the baking sheet and press lightly. Press a few pieces of almond on the cookie surface for decoration.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 350 F preheated oven. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack, then enjoy!

Tips

Add the milk 1 tsp at a time so the mixture does not become too loose. If you add all the milk before, the cookies will not bake right since they will be too wet
Since the cookies are brown, it’s easy to over bake these. Check the cookies after 8 minutes, then every 2 minutes. This will ensure that they cook perfectly
It’s tempting to put the chocolate in the microwave for longer intervals. However, chocolate burns very fast and it can also seize due to the smallest amount of moisture. So make sure you only melt in with 10 second intervals and stir after each one.
Make sure to transfer the cookies to a wire rack for cooling. This will ensure air circulation around the bottom of the cookies.

The cookies stay good at room temperature for 3 days in an air tight container. If you need to store them for longer, it might be better to freeze the raw mixture. Portion and shape the cookies, then freeze in a single layer on a baking tray. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m sure they will turn out fine if baked from frozen for 12-15 minutes. If you freeze them, let me know how they came out in the comments. I hope you try these and as always let me know how it went!😬

Palak ka Shorba (Spinach soup)

Palak ka shorba is comfort food for me. I remember looking it up in Chef Sanjeev Kapoor‘s cookbook and walking my mom through it. It’s hard to imagine this now, but I’ve lived through a time when everything was not at our fingertips. Sometimes when I make this dish, I’m reminded of those days. It’s so weird that this was no more that two decades ago. The dish is also completely vegan, and super easy to make! 😬

Servings: 2, Prep time: 10 mins, Cook time: 20 mins plus cooling time

Ingredients

Spinach or baby spinach 2 bunches (or about 10 oz)
Star anise 1 whole
Bay leaf 1 large
Cinnamon stick 1/2 inch
Cloves 3
Ginger 1.5 inch piece
Garlic 2 cloves
Salt 1/2 tsp
Ground black pepper 1/2 tsp or 5-6 whole peppercorns
Yellow onion 1/2 medium
Canola oil 1 tbsp

Instructions

Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly. If using bunch spinach, separate the leaves from the stems. Save the stems for making a stock, we are only going to use the leaves here
Peel the ginger and garlic, then chop roughly. Also roughly chop the onion
Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the chopped veggies. Sauté till translucent.
Add the dry whole spices and cook for 2 minutes
Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time. It will wilt as it cooks, which will make room to add more.
Once all of the spinach has been added, add the salt and pepper
Let the mixture cool down completely, then remove the dry spices. Blend the remaining mixture into a smooth paste.
Add the paste back into the pan and adjust the consistency and seasoning. Heat and serve!

I didn’t know wilting spinach could be so fascinating

Tips

I have used baby spinach here. It comes in convenient packets and is already washed. However, it’s better to use bunch spinach since it’s cheaper and generates less waste.
Is you do not have dried spices, try looking for powdered spices at any grocery store. Alternatively, stop by your local Indians for all these whole spices and more! I’ve also seen these spices at Hispanic and Asian grocery stores. Whole cloves are also sold by McCormick. You just need to take a look around to see which would be cheaper for you!
It’s necessary to remove the whole spices before blending. These do not blend into a smooth paste, and can also make the soup too spicy to drink
Although you can adjust the consistency according to your preference, I recommend keeping it a little runny. This will differentiate the texture from Indian gravies with similar ingredients
This soup is super light and easy to digest. I don’t recommend having it as a meal unless you plan to sleep fairly soon.

I make this shorba every other week to get our portion of greens. I do try to eat a portion every day, but let’s face it, we all forget. 😅 If I have extra spinach which I need to finish, I make this and freeze it! It’s texture does not change and it tastes the same as it would fresh. So I hope you will give this a try and as always let me know how it goes!

Scallion Pancakes

I’ve wanted to try making scallion pancakes forever. They’re a bit expensive at restaurants, and it hurts my heart to pay so much for things which I can make at home. Plus, these freeze so well! You only need to do the work once every 3-4 weeks.. When needed, just cook them from frozen and enjoy. This recipe is also completely vegan!

I adapted this recipe from Omnivore’s Cookbook. I made a bunch of changes to this based on my experience. However, the method of forming the pancakes has been explained really well on this website. Here’s a link to the original recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-scallion-pancakes/. I am adding a bunch of pictures and a video to this post since this recipe can be a bit tricky. Let me know in the comments if you’d like step by step pictures for all recipes! 😊

Making the dough in a stand mixer. I messed up the water proportions a little here, but it’s fine as long as the end result is a soft, slightly sticky dough.

The recipe makes 6 pancakes, and this picture shows my dough balls resting under plastic wrap (I was using one dough ball.. so you only see 5 here 😅)

This isn’t exactly a rectangle, but it worked fine. Roll out the dough balls into as thin a rectangle as possible without tearing the dough

Please don’t skimp on the oil paste! I tried, but the pancakes turned chewy rather than crispy and flaky

Evenly spread the green onions on the rolled sheet

Fry it on a well oiled cast iron skillet or a non stick pan. Maintain medium heat for even cooking!

Servings: 6 pancakes, Prep time: 1 1/2 hours, Cook time: 1/2 hour

Ingredients

For the Dough

All purpose flour 2 cups
Salt 3/4 tsp
Boiling water 1/2 cup
Room temperature water 1/2 cup

For the Filling and Cooking

All purpose flour 1/4 cup
Canola oil 3 tbsp + 1 tsp
Salt 3/4 tsp
Green Onions 8 – 10

Dipping Sauce

Low sodium soy sauce 2 tbsp
White vinegar 1/2 tsp
Chopped Serrano pepper 1 tbsp
Water 1 tbsp
Honey 1 tsp

Instructions

Add 2 cups of all purpose flour to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the salt. Turn the machine on at low speed with the dough hook attached, then slowly pour in the hot water. Once incorporated, drizzle in the room temperature water.
Turn the machine to medium speed and knead for 5-8 minutes. The dough should come together into a soft ball which does not stick to your hands, but is not dry (refer to the video). Cover and rest for 20 minutes
In the meantime, finely chop the green onions.
Mix 1/4 cup flour, 3 tbsp canola oil and 3/4 tsp salt in a bowl and set aside till needed. This is the oil paste to brush on the dough
Once the dough has rested, roll it out into a log shape and divide into 6 equal parts. Then make a dough ball out of each portion. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying
Take a dough ball and roll it into a thin rectangle. Make sure to turn the dough while rolling to prevent sticking. You can also rub a little oil on the counter to prevent sticking.
Brush a generous amount of the oil paste on the dough, making sure to reserve enough for the remaining pancakes. Then spread chopped green onions evenly on the rectangle leaving one inch empty on the longer side farthest from you
Start rolling the dough from the longer end closest to you. Make the roll as tight as possible. Then make a spiral out of the resultant rope, and secure the end by tucking it in. Repeat this with each dough ball, resting the finished spirals under plastic wrap
Roll out each spiral into a thin pancake, and cook on a well oiled skillet till brown and crispy. I used a cast iron skillet, so I had to oil it using the 1 tsp canola oil mentioned in the ingredients. You can also use a non stick pan, but I’m not sure if the result will be as crispy.
Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce, slice the pancakes and enjoy!

Tips

To freeze the pancakes, roll each out and lay on a square of parchment paper. Then stack them, transfer to a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When needed, cook on a well oiled skillet set on medium heat till brown and crispy. I like to thaw the pancake in the microwave for about a minute before using the skillet to cook it through
I’ve included a dipping sauce we like with anything. You can use any dipping sauce you like! We’ve also eaten these pancakes in place of naan while eating Indian food, so I can vouch for their adaptability
Double the recipe if you want to freeze the pancakes. That way, you’ll have to do the hard work only once a few weeks. My husband loves these, so he can finish 3-4 in a sitting. So I do recommend making as many as you can!

Since I started making scallion pancakes at hone, we’ve been obsessed with them. I make them every 3 weeks or so. I try to freeze some, but there are never any left over. In fact, I’ve been known to over eat when these are around. So I hope you give these crispy flaky pancakes a try and as always let me know how it goes! 😬