Pesarat (Mung Bean Pancakes/Vegan O konomi yaki)

Pesarat - pronounced as "pes-sir-rut" - is a delicious crepe-like pancake from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It gets its bright green color from the moss-hued whole mung beans. It is usually topped with minced onions and green chilies but I like to add my own rainbow-colored topping for better taste, visual appeal, and nutrition. To make the vegan version of O konomi yaki, I just stir in lots of the veggies into the batter and cook into thick pancakes the same way as these; fabulous!

Prepared similar to a dosa or adai, pesarat is a fine addition to one's griddle/pan- cake repertoire. To make a good thing even better, I often allow the beans to sprout a little before processing them into a batter. Although pesarats are made from freshly ground batter, leftover or fermented batter make fine pancakes also. However you make it, it is healthy and yummy. Pesarat is traditionally served with upma.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole Mung Beans
2 hot green Chilies (cored for mild result)
1" piece fresh Ginger

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 sprig fresh Curry Leaves
1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste

A few Tbsp oil for cooking the Pesarat

Rainbow Topping:

1 or 2 Jalapeño chili, cored and minced
1 small Red Onion, finely chopped
1/2 each yellow and Red bell pepper, sliced paper-thin
2 cups finely shredded Red or Green Cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Method:

Sort, wash and soak the mung beans in plenty of fresh water for about 5 to 6 hours or overnight.

Drain the beans, rinse and grind with the asafoetida, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and salt into a fine batter using a blender with just enough water to get a fairly thick batter.

The batter can be made up to 2 or 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.

Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Heat a cast iron griddle or a skillet lightly coated with a little oil.

Making pesarat is exactly like preparing pancake-like vegetable adais.

Cook the pesarat until the bottom is golden brown and the edges are crispy.

Loosen the edges first and slide the spatula under the pesarat and flip to cook the other side.

Remove from the griddle and serve hot with coconut chutney and/or mulagai podi and zucchini raita or your favorite pachadi/raita.