Healthy | The Odd Hour Kitchen

It’s summer time in Bombay! And that means it’s time for Summer Workshops all over the City! And that means I am employed for the month! When you freelance… that is a big deal!

I am trying to get back to my old early morning routine… up by 5.30 am & out of the house by 8.15 am… & using the time in between to exercise (still trying to be regular about that!), make & eat a good healthy breakfast & pack an equally good & healthy lunch for the husband & me.

What I love about being on a diet at this point in my life is that I do have the time to cook! (Even with the occasional project like this one!) Up until now, whenever I was on one (& there have been many over the past 12 odd years!) I never could spend much time planning & making the kind of meals I would’ve liked. So I was stuck eating quick fix meals like steamed veggies or soup made for a week & frozen or boiled egg whites or… did I mention steamed veggies? Boring!! Now that I am totally giving in to my food obsession & I can dream up, plan & cook whatever I want… making sure it’s healthy and delicious 🙂

My foodie partner in crime, Priti, like me, constantly struggles with wanting to eat food that is oh so good! & the need to healthy. Most of our lunch dates start out with good intentions to eat light, eat right & eat healthy… & end up with the two of us in a blissful food coma! Seriously… no regrets! But recently, once again we have been trying to support each other towards healthier goals.

The other day Priti called, saying she gave in to a pancake craving… I don’t blame her, I’d give in to one any day of the week! Now pancakes are always delicious, but they don’t have to be unhealthy, right?

So this one is for Priti, me & all of us that crave a Pancake Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) without the guilt 🙂

Ingredients

1/3 cup Oats (ground coarsely)
2 teaspoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Buttermilk
1/2 Egg
1 small Banana
1 heaped tablespoon Honey
1 – 2 squares Dark Chocolate (chopped into pieces)
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon Sugar

Method

Whisk all the ingredients together, except the last 2.
On a non-stick pan melt a teeny, tiny, next-to-nothing smidgen of butter & pour in half the batter.
When little bubbles start forming on the surface of the pancake, sprinkle 1/2 the chocolate pieces over it & flip it.
Once cooked serve it hot with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon sugar sprinkled over it.
Use the remaining batter, chocolate & cinnamon sugar to make the 2nd pancake.