Equipment
Ingredients
Tea Infusion
- 320 ml whole milk
- 4 earl grey tea bags
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 10 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 3 g ground cardamom
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 45 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 10 g unsalted butter, solid
Tahini Yoghurt & Toppings
- 200 g greek yoghurt, thick, plain
- 60 g tahini, well-stirred, runny
- 40 g honey
- 5 ml lemon juice
- 4 fresh figs, quartered
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 622 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 82 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 29 g
- Sodium
- 820 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 85 mg
- Potassium
- 479 mg
- Calcium
- 451 mg
- Iron
- 3.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 88 mg
- Phosphorus
- 371 mg
- Zinc
- 2.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 135 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.13 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.37 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 29 mcg
- Water
- 136 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to steam (approx. 80°C/175°F). Do not boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags, cover, and let steep for 10-15 minutes.
Squeeze the tea bags firmly to extract the flavorful liquid and tannins, then discard bags. Measure 300ml of the infused milk. If the volume is low due to evaporation, top up with plain milk. Let cool to lukewarm.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Greek yoghurt, tahini, honey, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Set aside in the refrigerator.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
Whisk the melted butter, egg, and vanilla into the cooled tea-infused milk. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula only until the flour streaks disappear. The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat (approx 175°C/350°F). Lightly grease with a small amount of butter. Pour 60ml (1/4 cup) portions of batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and pop.
Flip carefully and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes more.
Plate a stack of 3 warm pancakes. Dollop generously with the tahini yoghurt sauce and top with fresh figs. Drizzle with extra honey if desired.
Chef's Notes
- Steeping the tea in milk rather than water adds richness and prevents the batter from becoming too thin.
- For the fluffiest texture, let the batter rest for 5-10 minutes while the pan heats up; this allows the baking powder to activate fully.
- If your tahini is very thick (bottom of the jar), mix it with a splash of warm water before adding it to the yoghurt to prevent seizing.
- The bitterness of the tea and tahini balances the sweetness of the syrup—don't skip the salt in the batter, as it bridges these flavors.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store pancakes and sauce in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze cooked pancakes with parchment paper between layers.
Reheating: Toaster or oven at 175°C/350°F for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Pancakes are tough and rubbery
Cause: The batter was overmixed, developing too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked; serve with extra sauce to mask texture
Prevention: Stop stirring the moment the dry flour streaks disappear; lumps are normal
Pancakes are burnt outside but raw inside
Cause: Heat was too high
Fix: Finish the undercooked pancakes in a 175°C/350°F oven for 3-5 minutes
Prevention: Lower heat to medium-low and let the pan stabilize before cooking
Cultural Context
This recipe marries the Western tradition of fluffy breakfast pancakes with the flavor profile of the Middle East and South Asia. The use of Earl Grey (bergamot) and cardamom mimics the aromatic qualities of Chai, while the tahini-yoghurt topping is a nod to the sesame-rich sweets found across the Levant.
