Tsampa Pancakes

We’re delighted to bring you a new hearty and delicious tsampa recipe by Ann Lachman, owner of Purple Mountain Tsampa. (You may remember her great tsampa snack balls recipes from a few months back.)  Ann’s recipes offer tasty contemporary updates to the ancient Tibetan tradition of eating tsampa — roasted barley flour. We are happy to recommend Purple Mountain if you’re looking for a source to buy tsampa. Ann’s hulless barley produces particularly nutritious and tasty tsampa. 

Blueberry Purple Tsampa Pancakes

• 1/2 cup purple (or white) tsampa
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, or white-whole wheat flour
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar (or substitute agave)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk, soymilk, almond milk or water (or a bit more for thinner pancakes)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the pan (YoWangdu note: We use avocado oil)
• Serve with melted butter and warm maple syrup or agave.

• In a small bowl, whisk together tsampa, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg.
• Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just blended.
• Stir the blueberries into the batter.
• Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. & Add some oil to the pan.
• For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round if you need to (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
• Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in 200* oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You’ll have approximately 12 pancakes)
• Melt some butter in a small saucepan. Add some maple syrup – warm it all up together and pour on warm pancakes. Serve & enjoy!