When you hear the word pancakes, you might conjure up an image of a mile high buttermilk stack of fluffy goodness oozing with maple syrup. I love pancakes as much as the next person, but all the sugar makes me crash and burn hard. Instead of feeling energized, I get sleepy! I still don’t want to give up on pancakes, and when I crave something savory instead of sweet, I whip up a batch of zucchini pancakes otherwise known as a’ajeh. This dish is popular throughout Levant part of the Middle East. The recipe for these pancakes came from a need to conserve every part of the vegetable. For instance, one very popular dish is kousa mahshi, or zucchini stuffed with rice and meat. Once you take the pulp out of the zucchini, what do you do with it? Hence these pancakes were born.
Actually, the traditional preparation for these require deep frying, more like fritters to be exact. In order to keep these healthy (they are veggies after all) I use the pancake method, which retains flavor without all of that oil. These pancakes also require a bit of flour. To give these pancakes a low-glycemic twist, I used chick pea flour instead. Chick pea flour gives these pancakes a flavor similar to felafel, which I love, plus it is made out of legumes, so overall it’s a less processed, healthier choice. Have fun with these–make them mini style and serve with creme fraiche and salmon with a spig of dill.
Slather on my tzatziki sauce from my last post.. Tex mex them up with some salsa and sour cream. Use them as a veggie substitute for chicken parmigiana–add marinara and mozzarella cheese and broil till bubbly. Eat them plain! With all of the fresh herbs you won’t even miss the sweet style pancakes, if you try them let me know what you think! Here is the video!
As you can see these are all simple ingredients, taking something familiar to western cuisine, like pancakes, and adding a bit of snazz to turn them into something more exotic. Even the most novice cook can make these, and get the flavors of the middle east on a plate in minutes.