Gluten Free Protein Pancakes made with Urad Dal Flour

A protein-packed stack of urad dal pancakes!

Urad dal is a type of Indian bean flour that is not only high in protein but also yields an extremely smooth and creamy texture. Because beans are able to absorb so much liquid, a decadent texture is created when the batter is allowed to soak over night. In fact, the texture is so smooth and luxurious, I think urad dal flour would be ideal for making éclairs or some other type of confection. If you are a baker, I challenge you to create a gluten free éclair or other sweet with urad dal and post your creation here.

Desserts aren’t my specialty, but I did make some very tasty pancakes using this flour. These pancakes are the closest thing I’ve tasted to ordinary wheat flour pancakes so far. Try them for yourself.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup urad dal flour
• sea salt to taste
• 1 and 1/4 cup water
• Optional spices:
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp chile powder (or other pepper powder)
• 1 Tbsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cardamom
• ¼ tsp fenugreek
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp coriander

Instructions:

1. Combine urad dal flour and sea salt in a medium mixing bowl (Use sea salt instead of table salt to avoid exposure to corn allergens).
2. Optional: Add one of the suggested Indian spices
3. Add water until batter is thin (about 1 cup). Stir until smooth.
4. Let batter sit for 2-3 hours or overnight.
5. After batter sits, it will be thick and smooth. Add more water until batter is thin again (about ¼ cup).
6. Coat a preheated pan with oil (choose an oil that is safe for you). Ladle the batter into the pan.
7. Flip when the tops of the pancakes stop bubbling. Remove from pan when golden brown.
8. Enjoy plain or with your favorite pancake topping.

Note: Do not use asafoetida or heeng. These are also flavorful Indian spices that may be tempting to add to this recipe, but they are usually cut with wheat flour. Do not use these spices if you have a wheat or gluten intolerance.

Watch the demo:

Purchasing Urad Dal Flour:

If you mostly want to avoid gluten but small traces do not matter to you, urad dal flour from an Indian grocery store or online from a place like Amazon, works well: Urad Flour (2 lbs, 907 g)

For anyone with moderate or severe gluten or wheat sensitivity, because it can be hard to find urad dal flour processed in a plant that does not also process wheat, you also have the excellent option of starting with urad dal itself. This is useful because you can rinse it before you use it to remove any trace contamination from the processing plant. Then put the uncooked dal in a blender with enough water to make a pancake like batter. Cook as you would with any other pancake batter. You can find urad dal in Indian Grocery Stores and online. Here is an Amazon link for organic dehulled urad dal: Organic Urad Dal Mogar (Black Gram Split Dehusked) (2 Lbs)