Raw Lentil Pate Pancakes

I have always loved pancakes. Usually I enjoy exotic combinations such as sweet + salty or sweet + spicy. I like experimenting with different and interesting fillings and each time when I make some pancakes I usually try at least one new combination.

A word of caution: pancakes are not a raw vegan food. However, if you eat cooked food from time to time, they are fine. Lentils are a nutritionally rich food, which helps balance the not-so-healthy pancakes.

From an alkaline point of view, pancakes are acid-forming and contain animal products. On the other hand, lentils are alkaline-forming, so the overall result is somewhat neutral. I must emphasize that, if you are following a full-blown alkaline diet, if you have health issues or you are a 100% vegan, you should completely avoid this pancake recipe – but you can eat lentil pate, which is a very beneficial food.

Raw Lentil Pancakes Recipe

Lentil pate

This is the base recipe which you can improve by adding various seeds, vegetables and seasonings.

You’ll need:

• 1 – 1 1/2 cups of red (or green) lentils
  (200 – 300 grams)

• Juice from 1 lemon

• 1 – 2 Tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Various seasonings to taste

Pancakes

This recipe is quick to made and with a minimum of animal products.

You’ll need:

• 2 – 2 1/2 cups whole flour, or white flour
  (200 – 300 grams)

• 2 eggs

• 2 – 3 Tbsp sunflower oil

• A dash of salt

• Half-quart of mineral water or milk if you prefer. (around 500 grams)

How to prepare the lentil pate:

1. Wash the lentils thoroughly, then soak them in pure water for at least 8 – 16 hours. When properly soaked, the peas become very easy to squeeze between your fingers.
2. Rinse the lentils (you’ll see the soaking water becoming cloudy) and place them in a strain for a few minutes to remove as much water as possible.
3. Place the lentils in a blender along with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and seasonings. Blend well until they all become a smooth paste. Taste it and add more seasonings if needed.

This is the base pate. It can be stored in the fridge, in an air-sealed jar but it is best to consume in 2-3 days at most.

This pate can be further improved by adding:

• An onion finely chopped (don’t blend it, to preserve its texture)

• Red bell pepper (same, finely chopped, not blended)

• Seedless olives

• Sesame seeds / sunflower seeds / pumpkin seeds

Feel free to find your own combinations. The basic lentil pate has quite a neutral taste, thus allowing a whole range of culinary experiments.

How to prepare the pancakes:

In a large bowl place the eggs and the salt and mix thoroughly with a mixer. Add the flour to the composition and continue to mix. When the dough starts to become thick, add the oil and the water several times, in small amounts.

The final consistency should be light and easy to pour. Mix well to remove any lumps.

Leave the mixture for 30 minutes – 1 hour in the fridge. During this time, it may become thicker so add some water afterwards and mix well to the desired consistency.

Take a non-stick pan (preferably a pancake pan) and heat it on a medium low flame, with a small quantity of oil.

When the pan is hot, gently pour a ladle worth of mixture uniformly. When the color of the top surface becomes yellowish golden, it’s time to flip the pancake. Flip it several times until the pancake is well cooked but not burned. If this is your first time it may take a little bit of practice but ultimately it is not rocket science.

Repeat the process until all the dough is cooked and you have 10-12 beautiful, golden pancakes.

The Final Step – Filling the Pancakes

Take 1-2 Tbsp of lentil pate and spread it on a pancake, then roll carefully and serve. Using the same base lentil pate you can have variations by splitting it in several bowls and mixing each one with different vegetables and condiments.

Enjoy!