Your Favorite Chefs Elevate Mother’s Day Brunch With These Gourmet Pancake Recipes

Mother’s Day is the one time set aside to really appreciate the women in our lives, whether that special lady is your biological mother, the woman who raised you, the mother of your children, or the woman raising your kids. There are so many wonderful levels to motherhood and this day celebrates them all. Especially after the last year, where many mothers took on even more roles than normal, it’s time for a well-deserved break and day of spoiling. One of the best ways to show love is through food, so here are some incredible pancake recipes curated by 10 renowned chefs—including several Global Dining Collection chefs—that are sure to elevate your Mother’s Day brunch menu.

Stephanie Izard’s India-spiced Fluffy Egg White Pancakes

Speaking of women who can do it all, James Beard Award-winning chef Stephanie Izard has taken the Windy City by storm. Between Girl & the Goat, her three other Chicago-based restaurants, Goat Group Catering, her new bakery Sugargoat, and now This Little Goat Kitchen, a test kitchen for private events and filming, which opened on April 13, the Global Dining Collection chef and Top Chef winner has amassed quite the résumé. And that’s not even mentioning her growing line of spices, This Little Goat, which just released a new product line called Everything Crunch—a selection of global toppings that will cultivate texture in all of your meals. If that weren’t enough, This Little Goat donates 50 percent of their net website sales every Monday to a monthly rotating charity that supports the regions and cultures that inspire the products. The proceeds from April will go to the Chicago arm of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. Here, chef Izard’s recipe for India-spiced Fluffy Egg White Pancakes.

Ingredients
Yields: 4 servings
Time: 25 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes

4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons This Little Goat went to India
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup granulated sugar
Canola oil or butter, for cooking
Maple syrup, warm, for serving
Fresh berries, for serving (optional)

Method

Place the egg whites in the refrigerator to chill.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla extract and milk. Fold in the flour, baking powder, India spice and salt until well combined and smooth.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until light and fluffy. With the motor on low, sprinkle in the sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until the egg whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.
Gently fold the egg white mixture into the rest of your batter, being careful not to deflate the fluffy whites.
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and coat with a thin layer of canola oil or butter.
Once the butter has melted or the oil has thinned out, reduce the heat to low. Working in batches, scoop about ½ cup portions of batter onto the griddle.
Cover and cook over low heat until the bottoms are golden brown and small bubbles form on top, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Flip over and continue cooking until puffed up and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes more. If desired, keep cooked pancakes warm in a 300-degree oven until ready to serve.
Serve warm, topped with warm maple syrup and fresh berries, if desired!

Esther Choi’s Matcha Souffle Pancakes

*From left: Courtesy Chris Loupos; Courtesy Benjapol Puntoom*

Chef Esther Choi is the chef and owner of mŏkbar, a Korean-cuisine focused restaurant in New York City with locations in Chelsea and Brooklyn. She also helms Ms Yoo, a New Korean American supper club and cocktail bar on the Lower East Side named after Choi’s native-Korean grandmother. Inspired by her heritage, chef Choi aims to broaden the appreciation and understanding of Korean cuisine through her cooking. She is also preparing to launch a product line of Sesame CBD Oil called Sessy, and is a judge on the upcoming spinoff of Food Network’s Chopped, called Chopped 420, which will highlight cannabis cookery in a competition available to stream as of April 20 on Discovery+. Here, Choi’s Matcha Souffle Pancake recipe.

Ingredients

For pancakes
2 eggs, white and yolks separated
1½ tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon matcha powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of sugar
little bit of butter

For creamy matcha syrup
1 tablespoon matcha powder
½ cup sugar
¼ cup boiling water
1 tablespoon cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Method

For pancakes

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with melted butter, milk, & vanilla extract.
Sift flour, baking powder, matcha powder, and salt into the yolk mixture.
Whisk the egg whites with lemon juice on high speed (use a hand mixer or stand mixer) for 1 minute, and then add 1 tablespoon of sugar and whisk for another minute. Finally add the rest of the sugar and whisk on high for another 1 to 2 minutes until very stiff.
In stages, add the meringue into the yolk mixture little at a time. At the last point, gently fold so that the mixture does not get deflated.
With parchment paper, cut out 4-inch-long strips and about 2 inch in height. Make 3 of them and tape into rings.
In a nonstick skillet, wipe with a bit of oil on a paper towel. Add the parchment rings. On very low heat, pipe the pancake batter into the rings. Add a splash of hot water, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Flip the pancake gently and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with berries, whipped cream and matcha syrup (recipe follows).

For creamy matcha syrup

Mix matcha with sugar and salt; pour in boiling water until completely dissolved.
Mix cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry
In a saucepan, on low heat warm the cream and green tea mixture until it slowly simmers. Add vanilla and cornstarch mix and whisk until thickened.

Mario Christerna’s Mother’s Day Pancakes (with poached apples, berries, honey mascarpone, and red wine syrup)

*From left: Courtesy Jakob N. Layman; Courtesy Mario Christerna*

Former MasterChef Latino judge and renowned chef Mario Christernaknows a thing or two when it comes to unique recipes. The chef, who recently opened Brooklyn Ave Pizza Co. in Los Angeles’s historic Boyle Heights community, enjoys creating dishes that blend different cultures to make a perfect bite. Regarding Mother’s Day, Chef Christerna told Departures in a statement, “My wife loves sweets. If she could, she would eat dessert for dinner. On Mother’s Day I bring my wife breakfast in bed, and usually- it’s pancakes! Here is one of my wife’s favorites with some of her favorite ingredients, which include wine, berries and mascarpone, of course. Not your ordinary pancakes. This decadent breakfast is a great way to show appreciation for all the moms working hard.”

Ingredients

For the poached apples and sweet wine reduction
1, 750ml bottle, Red wine
3 cups water
4, apples peeled
2 cups, granulated sugar
2 each, cinnamon sticks
5 each, cloves

For the honey mascarpone
1 8 ounce mascarpone
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons Honey
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the pancakes (fluffy buttermilk)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup melted butter
3 eggs
2 cups buttermilk

Toppings
raspberries
blueberries
strawberries, quartered
blackberries
poached apples, sliced

Garnish
small mint leaves

Method

In a medium stock pot add bottle red wine and equal parts water, bring to a simmer. Peel apples. Once at a simmer, add cinnamon sticks, cloves, sugar and mix to dissolve sugar. Add peeled apples and poach between 22 to 25 minutes; you can always check for doneness with a fork, looking for fork tender. Once done, take off heat and allow to cool. Once cooled set aside apples and core the apples with an apple corer. If there are still some seeds you can always slide in a melon baller and get them out. Cut poached apple in half, lengthwise and make ⅛” slices, set aside. Put the stock pot back on the heat and reduce liquid by ½. What you are looking for is consistency to be a little looser than a syrup. Take off heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter and emulsify. Once it lowers in temperature it will thicken.
While apples are being poached, grab a small mixing bowl. In the bowl combine Mascarpone, heavy cream, ground cinnamon, honey. Mix well with a rubber spatula. Put combined mixture inside a piping bag and place in fridge until ready to use.
While apples and red wine are cooling, it’s a good time to start on the pancake batter. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix well. A tip is to sift your dry ingredients. In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, and cooled melted butter. A tip is to let the batter sit for at least 10 minutes room temperature before putting it on the griddle.
Fire up the griddle to medium. Once the griddle is at medium temp, turn the knob to medium low. Add a little butter to griddle. Fill a ¾ measuring cup with batter and pour onto griddle. Once bubbles start to appear it’s a sign that it’s time to flip them. Once done, take off griddle and set aside. Repeat until batter is finished.

For Plating: cut the tip of the piping bag. Put a pancake on a plate. With the piping bag, make a circle along the near edge of the pancake. On top of the honey mascarpone, overlap poached apple slices going along the circle. Add another pancake, repeat, then add a 3rd pancake and repeat. On top of the 3rd pancake drizzle as much red wine syrup to your liking. In the middle of the top pancakes’ “O” in mascarpone and apples put a mix of your favorite berries. Pipe in a little more honey mascarpone around the berries. Add some additional berries on the plate around the pancakes. Garnish with small mint leaves.

Pía León’s Quinua Pancakes

Named Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2018, Chef Pía León is no stranger to the kitchen. She’s spent the last decade running the kitchen at the legendary Central in Lima, Peru with her husband and fellow chef Virgilio Martínez. In 2018, the couple, both Global Dining Collection chefs, started a new adventure with Mil Centro, a restaurant located near the Inca ruin of Moray, 11,500 feet above Cusco, which serves cuisine inspired by the Andean landscape. Later that year, Chef León stepped into the spotlight with the opening of her own restaurant Kjolle. Just over a year after opening, Kjolle debuted on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 List at No.21, winning the Highest New Entry Award. Kjolle is steadily gaining traction with León at the helm and was ranked 18 on the same “50 Best” list in 2020. Here, her recipe for Quinua Pancakes.

Ingredients
Time of preparation: 10 minutes
Time of cooking: 20 minutes
Servings: 7 units

For pancake dough
1 ½ cups quinua flour
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon panela

For panela syrup
¾ cup panela
½ cup water
½ cup no stem muña
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For puffed quinua
½ cup quinua

Method

For pancake dough

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend the mix until smooth, set in the fridge to rest for at least 20 minutes.
Pour ½ cup of the mix in a slightly buttered nonstick pan over medium to high heat until the top of the dough starts to develop bubbles and you have a nice golden crust on the bottom. Flip it over and cook until the bottom becomes golden brown.
Pancakes should be fluffy and not dry.

For panela syrup

Make an infusion with water and muña.
Put the panela in a pan at very low heat, and once melted, start adding the hot infusion slowly. After that, take off the heat, add both the butter and the vanilla essence, and stir until you homogenize the mix.

For puffed quinua

Cook the quinua for 10 minutes in boiling water. Strain and cool down.
Take the quinua well-spread to a preheated oven at 150° for 10 minutes. Then take the quinua out and reserve.
In smoking hot oil, deep fry the quinua. It will puff almost instantly. Put it in a paper towel, and keep in a very dry place until serving.

For Plating: Place the pancakes, one on top of each other, adding syrup in between them. Garnish with more syrup, the puffed quinua, grated cashews, and flowers. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Mimi Williams’ Purple Yam Potato Pancakes

*From left: Courtesy Katrina Frederick; Courtesy Nicolette Dantas*

Chef Mimi Williams understands that motherhood can throw you curveballs. Case in point: she became an artisan of vegan cuisine after she could no longer consume meat during her pregnancy. As the owner and executive chef of Counterpart Vegan in Echo Park, Los Angeles—which has received notoriety for its plant-based approach—chef Williams celebrates the flavor profile of farm fresh produce in her dishes using creative and organic recipes. Williams is also known for empowering Black employees in the kitchen and working to feed the community by bringing fresh meals to homeless camps in Echo Park. Though Counterpart Vegan had to close in December 2020 like so many small businesses impacted by the pandemic, the team is working to reopen in a new location. Currently, Williams is consulting at Bardonna, a popular brunch spot in Santa Monica. Inspired by the same plant-based flavors and ingredients, here is Chef Williams’ recipe for Purple Yam Potato Pancakes.

Ingredients

For pancakes
1 purple yam
2½ cups oat flour
½ cup rice flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom
1¼ cup oat milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons agave
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For purple yam and beetroot syrup
1 purple yam peeled and juiced
1 beet peeled and juiced
(juiced beet and yam should yield 1 cup)
½ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

For pancakes

Peel and boil the purple yam for 7 to 10 minutes until fork tender. Strain and cool.
Mash with a fork, making sure to break down any lumps.
Mix vinegar and milk and set aside to curdle for about 5 minutes. While the milk is set aside, mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Mix the remainder of the wet ingredients with the milk and vinegar mixture and add the mashed potatoes. Whisk thoroughly.
Fold in the wet mixture to the dry and mix until the batch is well-combined. The mixture will be thick.
Pour the batter on a hot pan and let the pancake cook for 4 minutes per side on medium heat.
Press centers of each pancake to ensure the batter is set. The pancake will be springy to touch in the center when fully set.
Top pancake with assorted fruit and a purple yam and beetroot syrup.

For purple yam and beetroot syrup

Heat juices, sugar, water, lemon and salt over medium heat until mixture thickens into syrup-like consistency. Serve warm.

Dustin Valette’s Caramelized Banana Pancake — À La Tarte Tatin

*Courtesy Michael Woolsey for Valette Restaurant*

Chef Dustin Valette is a culinary wizard, vintner, and restaurateur expanding his reach across the West Coast, one dish, restaurant, and bottle at a time. This longstanding chef stands at the helm of both his wine brand (in partnership with Bob Cabral, Jesse Katz, and Tom Rochioli), Valette Wines, and Valette, a restaurant dreamt up by two brothers who wanted to create a unique dining experience in Healdsburg to showcase the talents of local farmers, artisans, and winemakers. Chef Valette’s next venture (in partnership with Craig Ramsey) is The Matheson, a three-story farm-focused restaurant, sushi kitchen, dining loft (Mezzanine), and rooftop cocktail lounge (Roof 106), opening in June on the Healdsburg Plaza. Chef Valette told Departuresin a statement, “My version of a banana pancake was inspired by the classic Tarte Tatin. It’s a favorite of the Valette family and whenever we have a special holiday, birthday, or [are] just feeling down (thanks COVID-19) out comes the Banana Pancakes. Enjoy!” He noted that the pancake batter recipe is also great for regular pancakes.

Ingredients
Serves 4-6

For pancake batter
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla paste
1 each, large egg

Chef’s Note: “This recipe is amazing, but yes, you can substitute it with a store-bought box.”

For vanilla whipped cream
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla paste

For the caramelized bananas
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
2 each bananas (ripe, peeled, and sliced into rounds)

For garnish
1 piece of dark chocolate (Dustin loves Volo, made in Healdsburg!)

Method

For pancake batter

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large sized bowl.
Gently whisk in the milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg.
Once mixed, reserve while you make the caramelized bananas.

Chef’s Note: “Don’t over mix the batter. You can adjust the thickness with a little milk as needed.”

For vanilla whipped cream

In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla paste, and cream (minus 2 tablespoons) and whisk to soft peaks.
Reserve in the refrigerator.

For the banana pancakes

In one large non-stick 12” pan or two 8” pans, add the sugar and place over high heat.
Rotate the pan often to melt the sugar evenly. Carefully continue until the sugar turns a light straw color, then remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream, 1 tablespoon of butter (careful, the cream will boil at first), and then the sliced bananas.
Use a spatula to carefully spread out the bananas evenly in the pan.
Scoop the pancake batter on top and place in a preheated 375° oven. Bake the pancakes until they are fully cooked, around 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and gently invert onto a large platter or cutting board. Allow to cool slightly.

Chef’s Note: “The caramel is sticky, and you’ll want to do this step as soon as it comes out of the oven, though you might need to use the spatula to help remove the pancake from the pan.”

Plating: The final step is to cut the delicious pancake into evenly sized pieces, place in the center of a plate and top with a scoop of the whipped cream. I like to use a microplane and shave a little chocolate onto the pancakes to make it that more decadent!

Sandy Virk’s Chai, Ginger Pancakes with a Dragon Fruit Sauce

Chef Sandy Virk uses her British Indian background to fuse cultures and flavors within her cooking. She helms the popular organic Indian food truck, Jivana, opened in 2018, which translates to “meaning of life” in Punjabi. When the pandemic hit, Jivana had to close its doors temporarily, but Chef Virk stayed busy engaging in other creative outlets such as Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine #EatTheBook series, where Virk and her sister created an Indian dish inspired by the novel The Henna Artist. Jivana has since reopened, with the recent addition of a full-service restaurant in Marina Del Rey, called Jivana Café. As the only organic Indian restaurant in Los Angeles, Jivana Café will represent this culture with traditions of Punjabi street food sellers and fuse authentic Indian flavors with farm fresh produce and locally sourced ingredients. Chef Virk offered a delicious Chai and Ginger Pancake recipe with a Dragon Fruit Sauce.

Ingredients

1 large free-range egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
sea salt
½ lb (1¼ cups) blueberries
½ lb (1⅛ cups) strawberries
stick of butter
2 cups frozen dragon fruit
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon chai powder
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

First make the dragon fruit sauce. Combine dragon fruit and sugar in a small saucepan.

Heat the mixture over the low heat. Stir the mixture until it comes to a boil.
Add vanilla extract. Continue stirring to prevent burning.
Let it cool then start the pancake batter by cracking the egg into a large mixing bowl.
Add the flour, ginger, chai mix, milk and a pinch of sea salt. Whisk everything together until you have a lovely, smooth batter.
Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and after a minute or so, add butter and tilt the pan so it spreads evenly.
Add a few ladles of batter to the pan, each ladleful will make one pancake.
Cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes, or until little bubbles appear on the surface and the bases are golden, then use a fish slice to carefully flip them over.
When the pancakes are golden on both sides, transfer the pancakes to a plate.
Repeat the last three steps with the remaining batter, adding butter to the pan between batches, if needed.
Serve the pancakes straight away, topped with the dragon fruit sauce, strawberries, and blueberries.

Claudette Zepeda’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Chef Claudette Zepeda is a San Diego-based culinary champion known for her unique approach to regional Mexican fare. Named Eater San Diego’s and San Diego Union Tribune’s Chef of the Year in 2018, Chef Zepeda earned national recognition from her work as chef de cuisine at Bracero, and as executive chef and partner at El Jardín. She’s also competed on Top Chef and Top Chef Mexico. In her latest venture, Zepeda has taken on the role of executive chef at the brand new Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, which opened in March. Chef Zepeda oversees the culinary program there, including the signature restaurantVAGA, which features ocean-inspired modern cuisine that celebrates Southern California flavors and influences. She offered a tasty recipe for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Ingredients

For persimmon jam
⅔ cup persimmon puree
6½ cups sugar
juice from 2 lemons
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 star anise
2 tablespoons pink peppercorns, ground finely
2 tablespoons pectin, powder
½ cup marigold petals (save for last)

For poppy seed glaze
juice from 5 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons poppy seeds

For pancakes
4 cups all-purpose cake flour
½ cup granulated sugar
2½ tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2¾ cups milk
½ cup melted butter
1½ tablespoons vanilla
2 eggs
¼ cup ricotta
zest from 5 lemons
pre-made persimmon jam
pre-made poppy glaze

Method

For persimmon jam

In a large sauce pot stir together puree, lemon juice, 6 cups sugar (reserve last ½ cup and mix together with powdered pectin), and spices.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula and scraping the bottom to avoid burning.
Combine pectin and ½ cup of sugar; slowly sprinkle in pot mixture to a boil. Stir constantly for a few minutes. Test consistency on cold sizzle plate or spoon. Once it coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat and let cool. Add marigold petals.

For poppy seed glaze

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well-combined.

For pancakes

Combine together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, and salt in a large-sized bowl.
In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients and whisk until combined.
Slowly fold wet mixture into the dry. Mix together until mostly smooth. There may be a couple of lumps, but that's okay. DO NOT OVERMIX. If you find the batter is too thick (doesn't pour off the ladle smoothly), fold a couple tablespoons of extra milk into the batter at a time until reaching desired consistency.
Heat large skillet over medium heat, and swirl butter over the surface of the pan.
Dollop ¼ cup of batter into the pan per pancake and cook until bubbles form on the top of each.
Flip pancake and reduce heat slightly, cooking until golden brown on both sides.
Top with persimmon jam and poppy glaze.

Nik Sharma’s Roasted Broccolini + Chickpea Pancake

Chef Nik Sharma is the writer, recipe developer, and photographer behind the award-winning blog A Brown Table. He’s also the author of two cookbooks—Season: Big Flavours, Beautiful Food, and most recently, The Flavor Equation, which was named a “Best Cookbook of 2020” by Martha Stewart Living, Eater, Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, and The Food Network, among many others. Interestingly, chef Sharma started with a science background and has a degree in molecular biology. His love of science and food is evident in The Flavor Equationand through the recipe he offered which includes chef notes discussing the science behind the steps. Here, his Roasted Broccolini and Chickpea Pancake recipe.

Ingredients
Serves 4

For Indo-Sichuan sauce
(Makes 3 to 3½ cups)
1½ ounces dried whole Kashmiri chilies, stalks removed and discarded
1 cup boiling water
½ cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot or red onion
3¼ ounces garlic, peeled and minced
2¼ ounces fresh ginger, peeled and minced
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
fine sea salt

For the broccolini
2 bunches broccolini (total weight 1 lb)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
fine sea salt

For the pancakes
2 cups chickpea flour
½ teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green chili, minced
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to fry
½ cup Indo-Sichuan Sauce (above)

Method

For Indo-Sichuan sauce

Place the chilies in a medium bowl or cup and cover with the boiling water. Push down the chilies to submerge them and let stand for 30 minutes to soften and rehydrate.
Remove the chilies and transfer them to a blender with half of the soaking water. Reserve the remaining water. Pulse for a few short seconds until a coarse paste forms.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chili paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and the reserved water. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until the ginger is completely tender and cooked, almost all the water has cooked off, and the oil separates, 25 to 30 minutes.

Chef’s Note: “The name of this sauce is a bit misleading; it does not use Sichuan peppercorns but instead refers to the Hakka. While this sauce is served with Chinese food in India, I use it as a dipping sauce for everything; it even goes on top of my fried eggs. The oil extracts the bright red pigment of the red chilies, and you end up with a brilliant shade of rouge. While Kashmiri chilies are mild in their level of heat, you can further reduce the level of fieriness in the dish by simply removing and discarding the seeds from half the chilies, then proceeding with the recipe.“

For the broccolini

To prepare the broccolini, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of each.
Trim the ends of the broccolini stalks. Rub them with the olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Divide and spread the broccolini over the two baking sheets. Roast the broccolini in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are slightly charred and crispy.

Chef’s Note: “Broccoli and many other brassicas are rich in glutamates, which gives them a savory aspect that becomes much more apparent on roasting. To increase the umami taste, splash 1 tablespoon of soy or tamari sauce on the broccolini once they’re cooked and swap the fine salt out for an umami-infused salt. Using a wire rack allows air circulation and prevents the broccolini from sitting in a pool of its own liquid and turning soggy. The broccolini is spread out between two baking sheets to prevent overcrowding. This gives the broccolini a crispy, roasted texture.”

For the pancakes

To prepare the pancakes, whisk the flour and 1½ cups of water to form a smooth batter. Whisk in the chili powder, turmeric, and salt. Fold in the cilantro and chili.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Stir the batter and pour ¼ cup into the pan, swirling to spread the batter. Cook until the pancake starts to release from the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook again until the pancake is completely cooked, slightly firm, and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Prepare the remaining pancakes similarly. Transfer to a serving plate and top with some of the roasted broccolini and Indo-Sichuan Sauce.
Variation: To make a lighter, airier pancake, like the classic American-style pancake, add 1 teaspoon baking powder along with ½ teaspoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the batter.

Chef’s Note: “Besan chilla, chickpea pancakes—or chickpea omelets, as my dad calls them—are best eaten as soon as they come off the hot pan. Smear the pancake generously with the Indo-Sichuan Sauce, throw in a couple of roasted broccolini stalks, wrap, and take a big bite.”

Tanya Matta’s Buckwheat Dutch Pancakes

*From left: Courtesy Tanya Matta; Courtesy The Grey*

Chef Tanya Matta has been illustrating her passion for pastry for nearly 20 years, working at fantastic restaurants across the country like Seeger’s, Bacchanalia, Gramercy Tavern, and Carmel Valley Ranch, to name a few. She launched one of the first mobile food businesses in Durham, North Carolina, working out of an airstream before starting a full-service brick and mortar bakery called DaisyCakes, which closed in 2015. Now, Chef Matta is the executive pastry chef at The Grey and The Grey Market in Savannah, Georgia. These critically acclaimed restaurants are owned by executive chef and partner Mashama Bailey and managing partner Johno Morisano, who will be expanding their restaurant collection with The Diner Bar and The Grey Market – Austin, at the new Thompson Austin hotel opening this summer. Chef Matta’s recipe for Buckwheat Dutch Pancakes can be found at The Grey.

Ingredients
Makes approximately 8-10 pancakes

dry
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup buckwheat flour
5½ tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
4¾ teaspoons kosher salt

wet
3 eggs, preferably room temperature
½ stick melted butter
1½ cup buttermilk
1 cup whole milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. If the batter seems thick, add more milk or buttermilk as needed.
Heat skillet on medium and place a tablespoon of butter to coat the pan. Spoon pancake batter into pan and flip when batter begins to bubble. Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Chef’s Note: “At The Grey, we like to serve these pancakes with local strawberries infused with a lavender simple syrup but they are great with any seasonal fruit. Enjoy!”