The new kitchen has given me the perfect excuse to spend hours browsing homeware sites and interiors blogs. It’s not just for inspiration — I really do need new plates, glasses, a table and a sofa to fit the space. For now most of that will remain wishful window shopping because the kitchen remodel has eaten our budget. I’ve pinned and bookmarked so many beautiful pieces that I’ll be relying on luck to bring them home soon.
Many of my favourite items, including the sofa and table I’ve been dreaming about, are from Loaf. I’m delighted to work with them on a Pinterest board and a small giveaway. Loaf kindly sent a set of their Wobbler ceramic plates for me to try. They’ve already appeared in my chilli noodles photos and I expect they’ll feature often in my food shots from now on. In this post they frame my spicy vegetable pancakes, a recipe born from using the odds and ends in the fridge — a method that produces many of my best dishes.
These vegetable pancakes work well as a starter, a light lunch or as canapés if you make them smaller. They’re also forgiving and versatile: swap or add vegetables depending on what you have. Leftovers are delicious cold or even for breakfast. The recipe below yields a batter that’s thick but pourable, similar to American pancake batter, so you get golden, slightly crisp edges and a tender interior.
Spicy vegetable pancakes
2 large carrots, peeled
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 large courgette (zucchini)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6–8 tbsp chickpea flour, more if needed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to serve
1 tsp gochujang paste or a few drops of Tabasco
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic paste or 1 tsp garlic granules
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Sriracha sauce or sour cream to serve
Method
- Grate the carrots, sweet potato and courgette using a food processor or a box grater. Place the grated vegetables in a large bowl.
- Add the beaten eggs, gochujang (or Tabasco), garlic and chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly with a fork until well combined.
- Season generously with salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the chickpea flour and baking powder. Depending on how much moisture the vegetables release you may need more or less flour. The batter should be thick but still pourable.
- Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spoon large dollops of batter into the pan, flattening them slightly with the back of the spoon.
- Cook for about 3–4 minutes until the underside is golden and the pancake holds its shape, then flip carefully with a spatula. Cook another 3–4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Adjust cooking time for size and thickness.
- Transfer the cooked pancakes to kitchen paper to drain briefly, then serve warm with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a drizzle of Sriracha or a dollop of sour cream.
