Tiger Nut (Chufa) Pancake
Tiger Nut or Chufa
The main ingredient of this gluten and dairy free pancake is tiger nut. It is paleo and ketogenic diet friendly. Tiger nut flour is made from root vegetables. Its name is misleading because tiger nut is actually not a nut, but a small tuber. A nutrient dense root vegetable. It is also called chufa after their Spanish name. The ancient Egyptians already knew tiger nuts, they were found in some sarcophagi. Tiger nuts arrived to Europe with the entry of the Arabs in the Iberian Peninsula. It is a very good substitute for grain flours and nut flours as well.
Tiger nuts are super high in resistant starch fiber. Resistant starch passes through the stomach and small intestine without being digested. It also benefits your gut by acting as a prebiotic. They are stimulating the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract. Tiger nuts are a source of fatty acids and some vitamins and minerals. Chufa contains vitamins C and B6, as well as iron, zinc, potassium, and calcium. It’s one of the best natural magnesium sources. Its slightly sweet and nutty flavor, it allows you to cut back on added sugar.
Erythritol or Coconut Sugar
This pancake is thick and fluffy like an American pancake. I use erythritol in it, but I suggest to replacing it with coconut sugar, if kids are also consuming this pancake. Like other artificial sweeteners, xylitol and erythritol can cause pronounced physical discomfort, including diarrhea and intestinal gas.
Erythritol and xylitol taste sweet like sugar but contain fewer calories and are absorbed more slowly by the body, reducing the blood sugar spikes. They are ideal sugar substitute for people with diabetes.
Tip!
I suggest to replacing erythritol with coconut sugar, if kids are also consuming this pancake.
Tiger Nut (Chufa) Pancake
Ingredients
- 70 gram tiger nut flour
- 30 gram coconut flour
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder
- 1 tsp agar-agar
- 2 tbsp erythritol or coconut sugar if children will eat
- 250 ml water
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Coconut yogurt and fruits for serving
Instructions
- Mix tiger nut flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk powder and agar-agar in a bowl.
- Pour water in a pot and add coconut oil, erythritol (or coconut sugar) and salt. Heat up this mixture on medium low heat, until oil and sugar melted, until just starts to simmer. Do not boil! Switch off the heat!
- Add flour mixture and stir for 2 minutes, until the dough forms into a ball.
- Put the dough back into the bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- When the dough is not too warm, add eggs (one at a time) and combine with electric hand mixer very well.
- Add cinnamon, baking powder and mix it. Then set aside to rest for 10 minutes. The dough will be elastic and a bit sticky.
- Grease a frying pan with coconut oil and heat up.
- When the pan is hot, decrease the heat to medium low and start to cook the pancakes. Put a heaped tablespoon of dough in the pan, form circles, and press the dough to a thickness of 1 cm with the back of an oily spoon. Cook for 3 – 3 ½ minutes then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes, until golden. Make 2-3 pieces at a time. Repeat it with the rest of the dough.
- Serve with coconut yogurt and fruits but it is delicious on its own also. Enjoy!