Ragi Banana pancake with Raspberry compote

I made my first pancake with a store bought pancake mix. I topped it with some fresh chopped strawberries and banana and some maple syrup and called it good.

This was the case until I started looking for some new ideas for our breakfast.
I make breakfast almost every single day. I can't have cereal for breakfast continuously. For one or two days I can, but not more than that. Also I want my daughter to get used to the Indian habit of having a heavy breakfast. Its a proven fact that having a good balanced breakfast is the ideal way to start a day.

My search led me to many new ideas like rava idli, rava dosa, uthappam and a variety of pancakes made from scratch. I have made pancakes using whole wheat flour and oat meal since then. Using ragi powder was a new twist. I have at least 5 pounds of ragi that I got to make baby food for my daughter. Now that she has grown out of that stage and also since my recent attempts to make her eat the porridge made with ragi failed miserably, I am looking out for new ways to incorporate it into her diet. That is how I came up with this recipe.

Ragi banana pancakes

Ingredients

Ragi flour( finger millet) 1 1/2 cups ( I powdered ragi in my blender)

Ripe Banana 2 nos

Milk 1 1/4 cups

Baking powder 1 tsp

Salt 1 pinch

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Chocolate chips 1/4 cups

Method

1. In a blender( mixer grinder), blend together banana, milk, vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Add ragi powder, baking powder and salt and blend again until smooth.
3. Heat a skillet/ non stick pan. I do not spray skillet with oil as I use non stick one. If you are using an iron skillet , spray oil.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of batter and spread it to form a small thick circle.
5. Place 4 or 5 chocolate chips on top.
6. Once the pancake starts to bubble and edges set, flip it over.
7. When the other side also gets cooked, remove pancake to a serving plate.

Raspberry compote

Ingredients

Raspberries 1 cup

Water 1/4 cup

Sugar 1 tbsp

Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Method

1. Heat raspberries, sugar and water in a sauce pan.
2. Keep stirring occasionally until it boils.
3. Reduce heat to medium and mash the raspberries lightly with the stirring spoon. Do not mash completely as chunks of fruit adds to the texture of compote.
4. Keep stirring frequently once the sauce starts to thicken.
5. Continue until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
6. Turn off heat and add vanilla extract.
7. Stir well and serve over hot pancakes.

Ragi pancakes came out soft and fluffy. But you should have it hot, as once it cools down it loses the softness. 

Regarding the raspberry compote, once you try it, you will never want to go back to the store bought maple syrup. I have tried strawberry compote too by replacing raspberries in this recipe with chopped strawberries. But that cannot be compared to this. Raspberry compote is divine and has a very pleasing aroma and taste. It is lip smacking good and complements ragi pancake well.