Purple Vegetable Pancake and Sweet Potato Soup

I celebrate this holiday season with highlighting a color symbolizing opulence, creativity, and a bit of mystery: purple. By balancing out the excitement of red and coolness of blue, purple offers a middle ground and foundation for wellbeing amidst the craziness of holiday traditions and temptations for overindulgence. Be well this season, and live simply. This recipe serves 1.

Ingredients

Pancake

• 1 tsp. ghee
• ¼ cup whole grain flour (I used spelt flour)
• ⅛ cup besan (chickpea) flour
• ¼ tsp. coriander powder
• ¼ tsp. cumin powder
• ¼ tsp. fennel powder
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt (to taste)
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 pinch hing (maybe even less because this is potent)
• 1 cup radish, turnip, or other root vegetable, grated or minced
• 1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• ½ cup water or enough to reach desired consistency
• ½ tsp. ghee for oiling pan

Soup

• 1-2 small or medium purple sweet potatoes
• 1 thumb ginger, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• ¼ tsp. coriander powder
• ¼ tsp. cumin powder
• ¼ tsp. fennel powder
• ½ tsp. Ras el hanout
• 1 pinch salt (to taste)
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. fenugreek leaves
• Sesame seeds (garnish)

Method

For the pancake

1. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients
2. Stir in water to reach a pancake batter consistency
3. Add grated and sliced vegetables and mix until coated
4. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove
5. Spread ½ tsp. ghee over the top
6. Add pancake batter to skillet and spread evenly to make medium thin pancake
7. After 3-5 minutes, use metal spatula to check if bottom surface is brown
8. When cooked, flip pancake and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes
9. Once both sides are brown, take skillet off heat and transfer pancake to cutting surface
10. Serve with tahini dressing, recipe here

For the soup

1. Add sweet potatoes and ginger into a medium pot on the stove
2. Add water to cover the potatoes
3. Boil potatoes over medium heat until fork tender (about 10-15 minutes)
4. Once soft, take potatoes off heat
5. Add oil and spices to potatoes
6. Blend mixture together to reach a soupy consistency (add water if needed)
7. Garnish with sesame seeds
8. Enjoy