Buchu pancakes with Asian dipping sauce
Whether you enjoy them as bite-sized morsels or a full-sized treat, these buchu pancakes are best eaten with chopsticks.
This unique pancake recipe combines the aromatic essence of buchu leaves with a fluffy pancake batter. Infusing the milk with buchu leaves adds a distinct and refreshing twist to the traditional pancake recipe.
Buchu leaves have long been a staple in South African cuisine. These versatile leaves, derived from the Agathosma betulina plant, have a distinct blackcurrant and mint-like taste.
To complement the savoury pancakes, a tangy Asian dipping sauce featuring teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce, Asian chili powder, and spring onions is prepared, elevating the overall culinary experience. Recipe compliments of BBC Homegrown Tastes.
Ingredients
- 375ml milk
- 1/4 cup Buchu Leaves
- 200g flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp sugar
- 20g chives, chopped into thirds
- Oil, for frying
Asian Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce
- 1/2 cup Ponzu sauce
- 1 tablespoon Asian chilli powder
- 5 spring onions, sliced
Method
- Infuse the milk with the buchu leaves by putting it into a saucepan and heating together, till the milk reaches scalding point. (Just before boiling). Remove from heat & set aside.
- To make the batter, mix together the remaining ingredients & slowly incorporate the milk to create a smooth batter. Heat a nonstick frying pan with oil and pour in the batter, swirling the pan to cover.
- Cook until bubbles form on the surface and the pancake is golden in colour and then flip to cook the other end. Remove from the pan and roll. Cut into little pancake bites and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
- To make the sauce heat together the ingredients in a saucepan and pour into little ramekins.
- Plate the pancake bites on a little plate, with a ramekin of sauce and serve with chopsticks.
Good to know
Infusing milk
– If you infuse the buchu leaves in the milk overnight in the fridge the cold infusion will result in a stronger buchu flavour
– This can then be followed by heating the two together to further infuse the flavour into the milk before adding it to the batter.
Knowing when to flip your pancake:
– Bubbles form on the surface
– The edges of your pancake will become dry, showing that the base has cooked
– Try not to flip your pancakes more than once – this may lead to a very chewy or overcooked end product
