The gift of a fresh knob of locally grown ginger — and an abundance of butternut and koginut squash lining my kitchen counter – prompted me to make savory squash pancakes. I’m sort of nuts about vegetable pancakes in general, but I have to say that squash just lends such a lovely texture and flavor to a pancake. I roast the squash using this method, and then scoop out the flesh when cooled.
These are frankly delicious on the dinner plate with just about anything, but if you want to go fancy, make small pancakes and serve them with sour cream and a quick little salsa of diced apples, fresh ginger, lime, maple and cilantro as an hors d’oeuvre. And you could even serve them with maple syrup and butter for breakfast; they’d be especially nice with pork sausage.
The spice level here is just right I think – you taste the spices but are not overwhelmed by them. But if you find you want more the next time you make these, go for it!
Makes 12 large or 24 small pancakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or thick Greek yogurt, plus more for serving if desired
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for frying and/or serving
- 1 cup roasted butternut (or honeynut or koginut) squash
- 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or a combination), more for serving
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, sour cream, and the melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture, whisking until they are just combined. Add the roasted squash, fresh ginger, and cilantro and stir and whisk to combine. Let the batter sit for 10 to 20 minutes.
4. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When the butter has melted and is bubbling, use a tablespoon measure to scoop batter into the pan, forming 4 or 5 pancakes. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the pancakes are golden brown on the bottom (bubbles will appear on the sides of the tops), then flip. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the bottoms are browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in a low oven, if desired. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding butter and oil to the pan as necessary, and turning the heat down as necessary. (Alternatively, you can use a quarter cup measure to scoop a larger amount of batter and make larger pancakes.)
5. Serve warm with dollops of sour cream or Greek yogurt, cilantro, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup if desired. Or serve with just a bit of melted butter.
