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Nigerian pancakes
Pancake: thin, chewy Nigerian pancakes, savoury with onion and pepper or lightly sweet
Somewhere between a crêpe and a Western pancake, the Nigerian version is thin, slightly chewy and folded into quarters, often cooked for children before school or on a slow Saturday. Savoury ones get chopped onion and a bit of fresh chilli in the batter; sweet ones simply have more sugar and a pinch of nutmeg. They need nothing alongside except tea or a cup of hot chocolate. A pan that isn't hot enough is the classic mistake and gives pale, greasy pancakes, so heat it until a drop of batter sets at once. Chef's tip: rest the batter for 10 minutes while the pan heats; it gives a smoother, chewier pancake.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz plain flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups milkor half evaporated milk, half water
- 1 tbsp sugaruse 3 tbsp and skip the onion and chilli for sweet pancakes
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ onionvery finely chopped
- ½ scotch bonnet chilli (optional)very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oilfor the pan
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 7 oz plain flour, 1 tbsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg in a bowl. Add 2 eggs and half of the ¾ cup milk and whisk to a smooth paste, then whisk in the rest of the ¾ cup milk until the batter is like single cream.
3 minStep 2: Stir in ½ onion and ½ scotch bonnet chilli and rest the batter for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Heat a 22–24 cm frying pan over a medium-high heat and wipe with a little 2 tbsp vegetable oil.
2 minStep 4: Pour in a small ladle of batter and swirl to coat the base thinly. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the edges lift and the underside has golden spots.
2 minStep 5: Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Fold into quarters and keep warm while you cook the rest, oiling the pan lightly each time.
14 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nigerian pancakes take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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