Buckwheat Pancakes with Tamarillo

Buckwheat is a gluten free seed that’s packed with nutrition. I love to incorporate it in our breakfasts, and this simple pancake recipe would have to be one of the easiest ways. Whole buckwheat (referred to as buckwheat groats) is soaked overnight, before being rinsed and blended with a few more ingredients to make pancake batter. I’ve used aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) as an egg replacer, but you can use an egg instead if you prefer. This recipe makes about eight small pancakes so double or triple it if you’re cooking for a horde. Serve with poached tamarillo, maple syrup and yoghurt, or your favourite pancake toppings.

PANCAKES:

1 cup raw buckwheat groats (available from Vetro)

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

3 tbsp aquafaba

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice or white vinegar) pinch of salt coconut oil (or oil of your choice), for frying

TAMARILLO:

4 tamarillos

1–2 tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice)

TO SERVE:

Maple syrup

Yoghurt

The night before, cover buckwheat groats with plenty of water and set aside to soak. The buckwheat will almost double in volume overnight. The next morning, drain and rinse the buckwheat in a sieve. It’ll be a bit slimy – this is nothing to worry about, it’s just starch released during the soaking process.

Tip buckwheat into a blender, add milk, aquafaba, maple syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth.

Cook one-third of a cup quantities of batter in a lightly oiled frying pan over low-medium heat for 1–2 minutes, flipping when the surface appears dry and bubbles are appearing. Cook another minute on the second side, until lightly golden. Serve right away or keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest. These pancakes are a little more fragile than a typical recipe, so keep them on the small side and treat them with care.

For the poached tamarillo, cut a cross in the bottom of each tamarillo, drop them into boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water. The skin will then peel off easily by hand. Roughly chop tamarillos, then add to a saucepan with maple syrup and a splash of water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until ruby red and syrupy. Serve immediately, or make ahead of time and store in the fridge.