Recipe · Contains egg
Easy Fluffy Pancakes (Classic, with Egg)
Easy pancake recipe for thick, fluffy pancakes with maida, milk, egg and baking powder, cooked on a tawa. Step by step, ready in 30 minutes.
This is the pancake recipe to learn first: thick, soft, fluffy pancakes made with maida, milk, one egg and baking powder, cooked on a regular non-stick tawa. The batter takes five minutes to mix, and the whole stack of ten is done in about half an hour.
Fluffy pancakes come down to three things. Baking powder gives the lift, the egg sets those bubbles in place, and a thick, lightly mixed batter holds its height on the tawa instead of spreading thin. Medium-low heat then lets each pancake rise and cook through before the outside gets too dark. Once you have the method, it is easy to turn into chocolate, banana or fruit pancakes. If you do not eat egg, use our eggless pancake recipe instead; it swaps the egg for curd and works just as well.
Easy Fluffy Pancakes (Classic, with Egg)
You'll need
Non-stick tawa or frying pan · 2 mixing bowls · Whisk · 1/4 cup measure or small ladle · Flat spatula
Ingredients
For the batter
For cooking and serving
Method
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the maida, sugar, baking powder and salt for about 30 seconds, until evenly mixed.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. In a second bowl, beat the egg until the yolk and white are fully combined. Whisk in the milk and vanilla, then the melted butter in a thin stream. If your milk is fridge-cold, warm it slightly first, or the butter will set into little lumps.
- Combine with a light hand. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet mix and stir with a whisk or spatula for 15 to 20 seconds, only until you can no longer see dry flour. The batter should be thick and a little lumpy, about like idli batter. Do not beat it smooth.
- Rest the batter for 5 minutes. Leave the bowl on the counter while you heat the tawa. The baking powder starts working and the batter turns slightly puffy and bubbly. Do not stir it again.
- Heat the tawa. Heat a non-stick tawa on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then lower it to medium-low. Grease it with a little butter and wipe off the excess with a tissue. A few drops of water should sizzle gently, not spit and disappear at once.
- Pour the batter. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of batter for each pancake, 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of your tawa. Let the batter settle into rounds of about 10 cm on its own; do not spread it.
- Cook until bubbles form. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear across the surface and start to pop, the edges look set and dry, and the underside is golden brown.
- Flip once. Slide a flat spatula under the pancake and flip it in one quick move. Cook the second side for about 1 minute, until golden and the centre springs back when you touch it. Never press down on the pancakes; it pushes out the air.
- Keep warm and serve. Stack the cooked pancakes on a plate covered with a clean kitchen towel while you cook the rest, greasing the tawa lightly between batches. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup, honey or fresh fruit.
Tips for getting it right
- Treat the first pancake as a test. If it browns before bubbles form, lower the heat; if it is still pale after 3 minutes, raise it slightly.
- Spoon the maida into the measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping it from the packet. Scooping packs in extra flour and gives dry, heavy pancakes.
- Test old baking powder by stirring 1/2 tsp into a little hot water. If it does not fizz straight away, replace it; tired baking powder is the main reason pancakes come out flat.
- Keep the batter thick. If it runs off the spoon like dosa batter, the pancakes will spread thin, so stir in 1 to 2 tbsp of maida.
Variations
- Extra fluffy: separate the egg, mix only the yolk into the wet ingredients, whisk the white to soft peaks and fold it gently into the finished batter just before cooking.
- Buttermilk pancakes: replace the milk with 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) plain, unsalted buttermilk (chaas without masala) and add 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) baking soda to the dry ingredients.
- Fruit or chocolate chip: pour the batter, then drop a few blueberries, chopped strawberries, banana slices or chocolate chips onto each pancake before flipping, so they do not sink or colour the batter.
Storing and reheating
Cooled pancakes keep in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to a month with butter paper between them so they do not stick. Reheat on a tawa over low heat for about 1 minute per side, or for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave. Leftover batter keeps in the fridge overnight; stir it gently once and expect slightly flatter pancakes.
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