Brown Rice, Sesame, Spinach and Scallion Pancakes

Brown Rice, Sesame, Spinach and Scallion Pancakes
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(165)
Notes
Read community notes

With only one test of these hearty pancakes, they’ve turned into a favorite lunch, snack and dinner in our house. Try them heated with a little grated cheese on top, or serve with yogurt. These look prettiest when you use black sesame seeds.

Featured in: Whole-Grain Pancakes: Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

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Ingredients

Yield:16 pancakes
  • cups (200 grams) whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 2teaspoons baking powder
  • 1teaspoon baking soda
  • ½teaspoon salt
  • ¼teaspoon turmeric
  • 2tablespoons (30 grams) toasted sesame seeds or black sesame seeds
  • 2eggs
  • 1cup buttermilk
  • 1cup milk
  • 2tablespoons canola oil
  • cups (300 grams) cooked brown rice
  • 1bunch scallions, sliced
  • 6ounces spinach leaves (baby spinach or stemmed bunch spinach)
  • 2ounces (½ cup) crumbled feta
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

127 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 216 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and turmeric. Stir in the sesame seeds

  2. Step 2

    In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the buttermilk, milk and canola oil. Quickly whisk in the flour mixture and fold in the brown rice and scallions

  3. Step 3

    Steam the spinach over 1 inch of boiling water for 2 minutes, or just until wilted. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess water and chop. Stir into the pancake batter, along with the feta

  4. Step 4

    Heat a griddle or a large skillet, either nonstick or seasoned cast iron, over medium-high heat. Brush with butter or oil. Use a ¼-cup ladle or cup measure to drop 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter per pancake onto your heated pan or griddle. Cook until they are brown on the edges and bubbles break through, 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully slide a spatula underneath and flip them over. Cook on the other side until pancakes are nicely browned. Serve hot

Tip
  • Advance preparation: The pancakes can be frozen for a few months and keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a low oven or in a microwave.

Ratings

4 out of 5
165 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

These pancakes make for a savory dinner! I was low on spinach so I added a few handfuls of arugula and sautéed the greens in olive oil. I served these with Greek yogurt mixed with lemon and parsley. Another flavorful hit from Martha Rose Shulman.

I cut the recipe in half and served with sour cream and chutney (about 20 small pancakes). Also wonderful savory pancake to take on the road.

What a bummer, this made so many pancakes that all ended up in the trash. They were so bland, healthy tasting in a depressing way. We ate them with greek yogurt and Trader Joe's mango chutney, cooked in lots of salty butter, and the only person who had any interest in them was the 7 month old baby.

Good with applesauce! We were out of sesame seeds, so I replaced 1 tablespoon of canola with 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil to get the flavor. Worked fine.

Excellent and easy! I have celiac and must stay gluten-free so I swapped the flour for 1 cup GF flour blend and 1/2 cup almond meal. Based on other suggestions, I lightly cooked the white parts of the scallions and then tossed in the spinach to wilt, and doubled the cheese. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as stated, and it is delicious and delightful! Makes many pancakes, so I will enjoy them longer! Thank you! :)

I have made these 3x now. They are delicious!!! The 3rd time was the best. I added ½ cup each of fresh dill, parsley, sauteed onion & ground almonds and more feta (close to double?). I also cooked smaller pancakes, closer to 1/6 cup plus. They are terrific with Greek yogurt and lemon and also work as “bread” with almond or peanut butter.

I agree that these lack pizazz. You have a lot of “bitter” (whole wheat, spinach, green onion) and no sweet or acid. Double the cheese or better yet just sprinkle it over the top. Next time I would sauté sweet onions and add those instead of scallions. The suggestion from another of a chutney accompaniment was great. I ate mine with Greek yogurt and lemon but it needed more. The good news is that they fried up like a dream with no mess or frustrated flipping.

I halved the recipe and added 1/2 tsp garlic powder & 1/2 tsp onion powder, along with some black pepper.I also used extra feta. Even with halving it, it made a lot of batter, more than double what the two of us could eat.The pancakes were very moist with a subtle flavor. Cooking in lots of salted butter made them nice and rich, but medium-high is too high for these pancakes! Do medium/medium-low, otherwise the outside will burn before the inside cooks. Interesting meal.Will play around with it!

I didn't have scallions. Used dill, rosemary, finely chopped red onion & sauteed portobello mushrooms & served with greek yogurt with juice of one lemon. Delicious & Satisfying. Will make again for sure.

I made a double batch and froze the leftovers for an easy meal later. Also mixed plain yogurt with lemon juice and dill as a dip. Tasty!

Turned out as quite hearty and healthy pancakes. Delicious smothered with some greek yogurt + lemon juice.

Perfect topped with tzatziki sauce! Good recipe for quarantine: comfort food taste with a sneaky serving of vegetables inside

Followed the recipe as written—super yummy result. These will easily become a go-to breakfast for on the go or a lunchbox staple. Would be great with a savory tomato jam

I replaced the brown rice with buckwheat, and included some spelt flour with the whole wheat flour. I also added a bit of ground cumin/coriander/fennel. Really delicious. There is a lot of batter, which takes a long time to cook, but I'm looking forward to having some leftover pancakes in the coming few days.

Great recipe! Added a dollop of sour cream and served with orange zest salmon (also from NYT Cooking). Recipe made a lot of batter, but it kept well. Put it in a jar and did for breakfast later that week. Highly recommend!

Agreed that this is bland. Yes - sauteed onions and garlic. NOT CUMIN. Maybe double the scallion?

I made them according to the recipe and found them disappointingly bland. If I were to make them again, I'd sauté some onions and garlic and add some spices, maybe thyme.

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