(MAITRI post) Flax seeds and sweet potato pancakes

By now, everyone might have gotten acquainted with the Maitri event! Priya and Reshmi have put together a prodigious and angelic line of friendship sewing together all lovely online foodies!

 So, on Monday I got to rip off the package my partner Priya from 'Priyasnowserving'  sent. The first thing i find is this beautiful color-changing flame less candle which floats in water!!

 

The next moment, I was enjoying spectacular sunset and savoring my evening tea on the patio sitting right next to lighted flower candle wafting in the water inside the wide open vase (we call it Uruli).  Isn't it good to not worry about when it will open, bloom,  fade or even weep over the wilted one.
Come neighbors.. envy me!

I was jumping up and down and almost at the edge of forgetting all about the secret ingredient inside.  Then, after some moments of great exhilaration, I walked out of my sunset dream and I opened the zip lock cover with a lovely note from priya. 

Priya, please convey our love and regards to your family, 3 beautiful kids and your new puppy too.. :D

Thanks a ton for the wonderful gift and cheers to an enduring friendship.

Hubby and myself almost ate up half of the seeds in it. Those were FLAX seeds.  I have seen them before, but that was the first time I tasted it.. its slightly bitter  and also has a nutty flavour when you eat it raw. Well, I recognized it.. hubby just sat and enjoyed them!

I sat down googling 'flax seeds recipe' and was amazed to read  about the nutritional values and the easiness of incorporating it with almost every meal! 

I dint want to alter the ingredient even a pinch, but first time I made pancakes with the seeds themselves, my little star started picking out the brown mini strangers one by one. So, I had to give the seeds a quick swirl in my mixer, just to break them into pieces. I did not grind them to a powder form. 2 swirls and you can see the flax pieces in those pan cakes.. See?

Flax seeds                         1/2 cup
Mashed Sweet potato       1/2 cup
  (I used chef's cupboard Mashed sweet potatoes..the dried form)
All purpose flour              3/4 cup
Baking powder                 1 tsp
Vitamin D milk                1.5 cups - 2cups
Powdered sugar                1 tbsp
Butter                               5 tbsp
Brown sugar                    2 tbsp.. for garnish

• Put the flax seeds in the mixer and give it 2-3 quick grind swirls.. Just to break them down to pieces.. You need not grind them.

• In a bowl, combine flax seeds, mashed sweet potato, all purpose flour, baking powder, powdered sugar

• Add milk and stir to form batter...( idli batter consistency)

• Heat a nonstick fry pan over medium heat.

• Add butter.. quite a generous amount . i used around 2-3 teaspoons, else pancakes might stick on to the pan making it very difficult to turn them.

•  Drop rounded scoop of batter into fry pan, flatten slightly with back of the spoon.

• Cook 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until nicely browned on bottom and around edges.

• Flip over, gently pressing down on pancake .. cook 1 to 1½ minutes or until cooked through.

• Serve warm with brown sugar and dry fruits.

Omy grabbed the full plate and wanted to eat all by himself.. Should I say more?

Starting today, flax will be seated alongside salt and pepper. A tsp of flax seeds doesn't change the taste of the dish as such, but adds a minute hint of taste very much similar to ground walnuts! Nutty flavor... Love it!

Now that I have my post, I am on a rigorous ingredient hunt to pack it to Heather Schmitt-González of Girl Chef (http://www.girlichef.com/) and Pavani of Cook's Hideout (http://cooks-hideout.blogspot.com/) .. Girls, watch out!