A friend of mine came over to spend a few days with us along with her eight-year-old daughter. The first morning they were with us, I asked her daughter if she would have Eggless Banana and Chocolate Chip Pancake for breakfast, to which my friend said, “Don’t bother making them; she hates bananas.” The moment my friend said that her daughter chimed in, “I would love some, Aunty.” And, sure enough, when I made the pancakes, she scarfed them down in a jiffy! As we watched the little one munch through her second serving of pancakes, my friend told me that from then on she would send her daughter to my place and I could feed her the required dose of bananas!

Recipe: Eggless Banana and Chocolate Chip Pancakeents

• 1 cup flour (whole wheat flour or refined flour or half each)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large ripe banana
• ¼th cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 tsp melted butter
• 3/4^th cup milk (may require a little more to make a batter of idli consistency or pouring consistency)
• Butter or oil for cooking pancakes

Makes: 4 pancakes of approximately 5 inches in diameter

Method:

1. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together.
2. Mash the ripe banana, add sugar and vanilla to it and mix.
3. Add melted butter and milk into the banana mash.
4. Give the banana mix a good stir.
5. Add the flour mix in two batches into the banana mix to make a lump-free batter. The batter should be of the consistency of idli batter or of pouring consistency.
6. Add the chocolate chips to the batter. Mix and use batter immediately.
7. Heat a pan. Put a little butter or oil into the pan to grease it. Wipe off excess butter or oil.
8. Pour a ladleful of batter into a pan. Do not spread the batter as done for dosas.
9. Cover and cook for a couple of mins.
10. Drizzle butter or oil around the edges of the pancake.
11. Flip the pancake when the edges are no longer sticking to the pan.
12. Cook the other side for a min or two and serve.

Note: Do not cook pancakes on the very high heat. High heat will brown the pancake but not allow it to cook from within.

These pancakes can be served topped with maple syrup or honey. Another delicious topping can be made by slicing a ripe but firm banana and caramelizing the slices in a teaspoon of butter melted in a pan. When one side of banana slices are caramelized, flip them to caramelize the other side. Do not flip the slices too much as they could turn to mush. Serve pancakes heaped on each other and topped with these heavenly caramelized banana slices and a scattering of chocolate chips.

So, what does this scrumptious banana-chocolate breakfast have to offer in terms of nutrition to children?

Related: Egg in a hole cheese sandwich