Despite being told all my life that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I struggle to prepare something for myself first thing in the morning. A great breakfast for me is quick and easy to prepare, light on the stomach, and packed with nutrients without tasting like a brick. I default to smoothies and yogurt parfaits, a sweet and creamy texture that I love, but it can get repetitive. Over the summer, Professor Chaitanya Krishna Vallabh introduced me to these savory oat pancakes, which opened me up to a different avenue of breakfast flavor.
Professor Vallabh was inspired by the dosa he ate growing up, a prominent Southern Indian lentil crepe recipe. “Dosa preparation is not instantaneous – the batter must be prepared at least a day in advance for it to ferment,” he says, which is not very conducive to a dormitory kitchen. When he moved to the United States for university, Vallabh recalls that there were no restaurants that served dosa, so he began searching for instant recipes. This led him to the oats dosa, which, through many iterations became the oat pancake. The initial recipe turned out okay, but he collaborated with his university roommates to add his own twists to it, fine-tuning it to become a breakfast staple. It is filling, healthy, savory, and spicy, so try this recipe, make it your own, and enjoy!
