Pancakes are one of the oldest foods known to humankind. Across cultures and centuries, people have been mixing flour and water into batter and pouring it onto hot surfaces – creating soft, flat cakes that go by many names. The earliest known pancake dates back thousands of years. In fact, traces of what looks like a pancake were found in the stomach of Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy discovered in the Alps. Even in ancient Greece and Rome, pancakes were common – made from wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and curdled milk, cooked on clay griddles and served as a simple, hearty meal.
Over time, every region of the world shaped its own version. In Europe during the Middle Ages, pancakes became especially important during Shrove Tuesday – a day when families would use up ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar before the fasting season of Lent. France gave us the thin, delicate crêpe, folded with butter, sugar, or fruit preserves. In the United States, the pancake evolved into a thicker, fluffier version, thanks to the addition of baking powder – and it quickly became a classic part of the American breakfast table, stacked with syrup and butter.
In India, we’ve always had our own traditions of “pancakes,” even if we don’t call them that. From dosa, appam, adai, to sweet pathiri or mutta pathiri, the concept of pouring batter onto a hot pan is very much part of our own food culture – using ingredients like rice, lentils, jaggery, coconut, or eggs. It shows how universal the idea is: just a simple batter, cooked on a hot surface, transformed into something delicious and comforting.
Today, pancakes are found everywhere – from street stalls to five-star brunches – and they’ve adapted to modern tastes. There are vegan pancakes, banana pancakes, Japanese soufflé pancakes, and even spinach or beetroot versions popping up in cafes. But at the core, it’s still the same idea: a warm, soft, cooked batter made with whatever ingredients are around, meant to be enjoyed hot and fresh. That’s probably why pancakes, in all their forms, continue to stay close to us – no matter where we are in the world.
This is my go-to style pancake – light, soft, and perfect for both sweet and savoury pairings. It’s not as fluffy as the classic American diner stack, nor as thin as a French crêpe – it falls somewhere comfortably in between. I like it for its simplicity. Just flour, egg, milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. No baking powder, no complicated steps.
Pan Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
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Pan Cakes are much popular. History says Pan cakes are with humans since stone age. Here we share old style Pancake recipe
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Sieve All-purpose-flour, Baking powder, Salt and Sugar together. Or you can mix it well
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Make a small pit on the flour mix.
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Add Egg, Butter and milk
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Combine everything a make a smooth batter
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If you prefer, you can add few drops of Vanilla essence. Its optional
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Keep the batter nearby at-least 15 minutes.
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Grease the tawa with butter
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Pour a ladle of batter on hot Tawa and cook both side till it get brown colour
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Serve it warm with Honey, Fruits or Maple syrup