Panki- It is a type of pancake, where the batter is cooked by putting it between banana or corn leaves. In Gujarati, “pan” means ‘leaf”. So the name panki (made on leaf).
It is a traditional non-fried snack made in Gujarat. Usually, panki is made from rice flour batter. The batter for it is prepared with rice flour along with spices such as ginger garlic paste, chili paste, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, asafoetida, turmeric (optional), salt, curd and warm water. The batter is prepared and kept covered for 3-4 hours to let it ferment. Rice panki is then made by putting the batter on the greased banana leaf. It is covered with another greased banana leaf and cooked on the non-stick pan. The panki is cooked on medium heat till golden spot appears on the leaf and the panki inside the leaf can easily be peeled off.
Variations in panki can be made by using different types of flour such as maize flour, semolina, gram flour or ragi flour. The taste of panki can be enhanced by adding coriander, spinach, dill leaves, fenugreek leaves or spring onion. This way you can try mixing different ingredients and make panki as per your taste.
I have brought corn cobs from the store and it was covered with fresh leaves around. I thought of utilizing the corn leaves for making corn and spinach panki. This is a no ginger or garlic dish. The panki has the fresh flavor of fresh corn, spinach, and green chilis. The panki gains more flavor and aroma when cooked on the fresh corn leaf.
Just enjoy corn and spinach panki plain straight from the leaf. Or serve it with coriander mint chutney and ketchup.
Corn and Spinach Panki
Ingredients
- 2 cup corn kernel fresh
- 1 green chili or as per taste
- 2 cup spinach washed and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp semolina sooji
- 3 tbsp chick pea flour besan
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- salt as per taste
- water if required to make batter
- 20 corn leaves for spreading batter and making panki
- oil for greasing the leaves
Instructions
- In a mixer grinder add the fresh corn kernels and green chili. Grind it to a smooth paste.
- Transfer the paste to the mixing bowl. Add semolina, gram flour, rice flour and chopped spinach.
- Add oil, black pepper powder, and salt and mix well.
- Mix well. The water released from corn paste and spinach would help to make the batter. However, if you required add a tbsp or more of water and adjust the consistency of the batter.
- Heat a non stick pan. Grease corn leaves with oil. Take one leaf and place batter around 1-2 tbsp on the greased side of the leaf. (Place batter as per the size of the leaf. Spread a thin layer of batter.). Cover with the other greased side leaf the batter from top.
- Make it similarly with other leaves.
- Cook on medium heat till the leaves become brown from both the sides. Try to lift the top leaf , if it leaves the batter, then the panki is cooked and ready to serve.
- Serve it hot along with leaf covered on it.
- If you do not have leaf then just spread the batter on the pan like pancake as shown and apply oil and cook from both the sides till golden and serve.
- The panki served - Both with corn leaf and without corn leaf is served.
Very yummy and like the idea of cooking the batter in leaf.