Pudla (AKA Indian Pancake, Vegan Omlette)

I have always loved pudla. One of my earliest memories is sitting on the kitchen worktop as a toddler, eating hot pudla as my mum made them. I am naturally a more savoury-oriented person, and pudla fulfil my cravings for a quick, crispy, filling snack. 

These pudla are gluten free, quick to make and so versatile; you basically add in whatever you have/fancy! I often use them as a way of using up any veggies in my fridge. Or equally, as a simple meal for those times when I don't have any veggies in my fridge!

Recipe (makes 8 pudla):
1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
Twist of black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
Pinch ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ajmo (carraway seeds)
Pinch cumin seeds
1/2 tsp kalonji seeds
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion flakes
1.5 cups cold water
1/2 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 spring onion, sliced

Method:

1. Combine all of the ingredients, except for the veg and whisk into a smooth batter
2. Add veg and mix to combine
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat
   Drizzle a teaspoon of oil in the centre of the pan
4. Spread a ladle-full of the batter into the pan
   Drizzle 1 tsp of oil all over the top of the pudlo
5. Cook until the top has small holes all over the surface, and the bottom is golden brown
6. Flip the pudlo over and cook for a couple of minutes
7. Remove and place on a plate with a kitchen towel, to absorb any extra oil
8. Repeat the cooking process for the remaining batter - ensure that you always mix the batter before taking the next ladle-full
9. Served hot with chutney - or ketchup!

Tips:

• You can make your oat flour by blitzing regular rolled porridge oats until finely ground
• You can add any veg you like: peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes...
• Add chopped fresh green chillies for an extra kick
• The batter will thicken the longer it is left - add water 1 tbsp at a time to loosen it before pouring into the pan
• If you have no veggies then fear not - they taste just as good without
• The spices and seasoning can be completely changed to whatever you fancy - no need for any Indian spices or seeds, you can just go with salt and a twist of black pepper or even some lemon. Do whatever you like!
• Depending on the heat of your cooker, you might want to remove the pan from the heat before adding the oil and next ladle of batter. This helps to cool the pan slightly and prevents burning. However work quickly! As leaving the pan off of the heat for too long will cool it down too much and prevent the pudlo from having nice crisp edges (which are my favourite part!)

Enjoy! If you have tried this recipe then please feel free to comment below and let me know how it went. If you have any questions then please ask and I'll do my best to answer!

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