Why does rain make me hungry? Simple; because childhood memories of mom serving us hot fritters or Roasted Corn on the cob or the yummy and tasty Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes or Meetha Poodas (as they are known in Punjabi) keep flashing in front of my eyes. My brother loved them and mom would indulge all of us in his name.
It has been raining continuously for two days and the pitter patter of the rain tempts me to make something that would let me hug my kiddy memories to my heart. I love the rain, I always have. The silver puddles create a zigzag trail that only a few try to cross. When the sky opens and the tiny drops of rain fall upon the parched earth and our dry souls the heart sings for monsoon savouries that are delicious and mouth-watering.
My mom’s “Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes or Meetha Poodas” are eggless, whole-wheat pancakes spiked with just sugar and fennel seeds or saunf and roasted in ghee or clarified butter. These pancakes kindle memories of me sitting on the window ledge with the raindrops splashing on my face. My mom had that magic ingredient that makes any dish delicious; that is pure, undiluted love! Hope I imbibed a few of those secret ingredients when I cook for my loved ones.
The fennel seeds are very aromatic and you can add cardamom if you want to but mom didn’t as cardamom has a heavy scent and it would overshadow the aroma of the fennel. Whole-wheat flour is any day better than all-purpose flour with and there are no eggs in these Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes or Meetha Poodas makes them a much better choice compared to regular pancakes.
Recipe for Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes or Meetha Poodas
Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ Tsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
1 ½ Tsp of fennel seeds
1 cup water or milk
2 tbsp Ghee or clarified butter
4 tbsp thick cream (Optional)
Method:
In a mixing bowl, sift together the whole-wheat flour and baking soda. Add the sugar and fennel seeds.
Add 1 cup of water and stir all the ingredients with a whisk to a smooth consistency. If the batter is very thick then add in ¼ cup of water.
Heat a Tawa or griddle to medium heat. Add a ladle of the batter to the heated griddle and spread to make a pancake.
Drizzle a spoon of the ghee or clarified butter over the pancake and flip once done.
Once both sides are brown, remove from fire and place on a serving plate. Make all the pancakes this way.
Serve hot either plain or with a dollop of cream. There’s nothing better than a cup of piping hot spiced tea or Masala Chai to go with these Whole Wheat Flour Pancakes or Meetha Poodas.
What calms your craving of food when it is raining, do share below that are synonymous with the monsoon season?
Fennel seeds ! That’s must be the magic ingredient here:) …. I do make wheat flour pancakes with eggs for my son . I should pass on this recipe to him! He’s a big pancake fan:D.
For me monsoon brings memories of bhajias…….my mom had this penchant for making them with ingredients only she knew grew in her backyard…..”taikilo” fritters were my favourite. Taikilo is the Konkani word for Taro leaves and it sprouts all over the place during monsoon. And bhajias made of karpooravalli leaves! Oh yummmmm! That is the Ajwain leaf or the country borage in English.
Meetha poodas are not american pancakes actually.Actually even my mom made arbi leaf pakodas and ajwain.I am planning to make ajwain leaf one of these days as I have it growing 🙂
I haven’t added fennel seeds in pancakes..sounds interesting..
This is an old recipe of my mom Lathiya 🙂 This is a Punjabi pooda not a pancake actually. Somehow I really like the saunf.