ko.pairings
Carrot pancakes with herbed yogurt sauce make a simple and healthy brunch. Flavor packed and filling, yet much lighter than potato pancakes.
Like potato pancakes, but with carrots. These Carrot Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt Sauce are so tasty and easy to make. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good potato pancake. However, sometimes you want something different that is healthier. Not that regular potatoes are unhealthy but sometimes it is not a bad idea to cut back on potatoes and switch in another vegetable. (Note on potatoes: they do have some really good health benefits, but when cooked with copious amount of heavy cream and butter even kale or broccoli is unhealthy).
So I made a carrot pancake to switch up the potato routine, and honestly I don’t miss the potatoes. I will say they are not quite as crispy as a standard potato pancake. However, the flavor is incredible! Carrots add a beautiful natural sweetness to the dish, and pair so well with yogurt and herbs. The carrots also create a great dish that is nice and filling but does not weigh you down. So if you make these Carrot Pancakes with herbed Yogurt Sauce for brunch, you can still be productive the rest of the day (or not because sometimes brunch is enough productivity for a day).
Be sure to pair these Carrot Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt Sauce with the Ginger & Sage Mimosa for an elegant brunch treat.
Carrot Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt Sauce Recipe Notes & Substitutions
Carrots– You need shredded carrots for this recipe. I always purchase regular carrots and then process as needed. For a quicker dish feel free to buy pre-shredded carrots, but I like the flavor when I shred them myself better. Honestly the hardest part of shredding your own carrots is cleaning the shredder after! I always hold the end that connects to the greens when shredding so you have something to hold. Use any color or style of carrots you like. If I was making for Halloween I’d likely add some purple carrot into the mix to get a nice purple and orange look. Feel free to use potatoes, although rinse and then squeeze excess liquid to dry before using.
Onion– This recipe uses shredded onion yellow or vidalia. To shred the onion I use the same grater as the carrots and create a paste. It is important to drain the excess moisture from the onions into a bowl before adding the onions to the mix otherwise it could be a bit too watery. Make sure you save the onion juice to add to the yogurt mixture. It gives onion flavor that permeates the yogurt sauce and brightens up the dish. You could use red onions or shallots but it will darken the pancakes.
Starch– For the recipe I use a combo arrowroot starch and tapioca starch. I do this to keep it gluten free, but it also keeps the pancakes paleo! However, feel free to use flour, all starch or even cornstarch in its place. Make sure it is something that will absorb some of the liquid and bind, almond flour for example would not be the best choice.
Egg– Use an egg to help bind and an egg to serve. I have not tried to make this vegan, but I imagine if you use a flax seed egg to help bind the mixture, it could work. If you give it a shot let me know! When making a flax egg it is usually 1 tbsp flax meal to 2.5-3 tbsp water. For this recipe since the carrots will release some moisture I would use 1 tbsp flax ground flax meal to 2 tbsp water. This will help it bind better. You will also need additional eggs to serve, I usually do 2 per person. To make vegan use a plant based egg replacer or tofu steaks pan fried.
Spices– I use fresh sage, and powdered smoked paprika and regular paprika. Feel free to add whatever other herbs or spices you want to the pancakes. If you change the spices, I can’t guarantee it’ll taste good, but a lot should work well.
Yogurt– I always use plain Greek Yogurt for my yogurt sauces. Typically I buy either 2% or 5% fat because it tastes better. Greek yogurt is nice and thick compared to regular yogurt and adds some extra protein to the dish. Kitchn has a great post about the difference between Greek and regular yogurt here. To keep everything paleo try a coconut or almond yogurt. Note coconut yogurt will add a coconut flavor to the dish, but will still work. If you do this I recommend using cheese cloth to strain excess liquid from the yogurt so it is thicker. Do not use flavored or sweetened yogurt for this, it will not work.
Herbs– Use whatever herbs you like! This recipe calls for fresh parsley, sage and mint. However, basil, rosemary and even cilantro would work well in the yogurt sauce. I would stay away from dried spices for these. Any herb that does not have a high oil content (parsley, sage, basil) doesn’t taste as good dried. They just lack the flavor power of the fresh ones. If you do want to use dried herbs, add a little extra to get the needed flavor (about 1.5 times the amounts).
Recipe Steps with Pictures
This recipe is really simple, which is why I love it so much! Basically shred the carrots and add to a bowl. Then shred the onions into a metal mesh colander, and let drain the excess water out. Be sure to collect this onion water to add to the yogurt sauce. If you do not want to do this you can dump it and add some scallions or chives to the yogurt sauce. But why waste?
Add in all the ingredients and mix it up, let it rest for a few minutes to combine and let the starch help absorb water to bind.
Heat a pan over medium heat and fry until golden brown, I like mine a little darker so I went a tad darker. Then cook the eggs and serve with the yogurt sauce, which is an add to a bowl and mix sauce.
Carrot Pancake with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
Carrot Pancakes
- 2 cups Shredded Carrots
- 1/2 Medium onion shredded, comes out to about 1/4 cup
- 2 tbsp Arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp Tapioca starch
- 1 Egg, Plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp Fresh diced sage
- 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Paprika
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp Oil for cooking
- 8 eggs, for serving, 2 per person
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2-3 tbsp Onion Liquid from Shredding Onions
- 2 tbsp Chopped Parsley (more for serving)
- 2 tbsp Chopped Mint
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200oF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. This is to keep the already cooked pancakes warm while finishing the rest. If you do not want to do this you can skip this step.
- Shred the onion into a metal strainer over a bowl to catch the liquid. Squeeze to remove excess liquid and set aside.
Herbed Yogurt Sauce
- Chop herbs and then add the yogurt, olive oil, 2 tbsp reserved onion liquid, herbs, and vinegar to a bowl and mix to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Do you want more onion flavor? If so, add an extra tbsp of onion liquid and mix. Then set aside for serving.
Carrot Pancakes
- Add carrots, reserved shredded onion, arrow root starch, tapioca flour, egg, sage and spices to a bowl. Mix to combine. Add 1 tsp salt and fresh cracked pepper. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- While carrot mixture is resting heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add about 1.5 tsp of oil to the pan. Then using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of the carrot mixture to the pan. Smash it with the cup to spread into a pancake. Fry in batches, and make sure you don't overcrowd the pan
- Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Once to the desired doneness, flip the pancake and cook for the same amount of time on the next side.
- Save on the side. If making a lot place in an oven at 200oF to keep warm while making the rest.
- Once done, cook eggs as desired. I usually serve 2 per person and make them sunny side up, but make them to your preference.
- To serve, place yogurt sauce on the bottom of a plate, top with carrot pancakes and eggs. I like to sprinkle some fresh parsley on top, add some hot sauce and serve with the Orange, Ginger and Sage Mimosa.
