Difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder

　

In baking we use Baking Soda and Baking Powder both as a leavening agent. We often see that some recipes call for baking powder and some for baking soda and some need both.

Actually, baking powder and baking soda both have Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate a chemical compound. Commonly known as soda bicarb.

 

Baking soda is only soda bicarb itself. Baking soda when mixed with acid like cream of tartar and water or any acidic liquid like vinegar, butter milk etc. produces carbon dioxide(CO2).

Baking soda works immediately when contacts with acid, produces lots of CO2.

Baking Powder is a combination of Soda bicarb(baking soda), acidic salt and corn starch. It also produces carbon dioxide when moistened.

Most commonly used baking powder is double acting baking powder. It works in two steps. Small amount of gas is released when dissolved. And most during baking when the temperature is increased.

 

When a recipe calls for baking powder and baking soda both, the baking powder does most of the leavening. Baking soda is added to neutralize the acids in the recipe.

Meetha Pura (Wheat Pan Cake)

Indian pancakes... I am eating these since my childhood. A whole meal in itself.  As sweet tastes good with something salty, you can have these pancakes with any pickle / chutney / dish of your choice. I like it with Mango pickle. When I was a child I loved to eat these pancakes with fresh cream (malai) too. 

 

My kids also love these pancakes a lot. The younger one takes them in her lunch box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Wheat flour(Atta) ------------------------------------ 3 cups

Sugar or jaggery ------------------------------------- 3/4 cup
Fennel seeds (Sauf) --------------------------------- 1 tbsp 

Water to make batter

Oil or Ghee

 

Soak jaggery/sugar in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hour to dissolve it completely. Then stain the syrup. Take wheat flour in a bowl and pour the syrup in the atta and make the batter. Consistency should be like besan batter we make for pakoras. If required add water for the required consistency. I use the handmixer for this job.
 

 

 

 

Add fennel seeds in the batter and mix. If you like you can add elaichi (cardamon) powder also at this stage.

 

 

 

Take a non-stick tava and heat it as for making chappatis. Then pour 1 ladle full mixture on the tava like dosa/ chilla. Drop some oil/ghee on it. Cook on low flame. Then flip the pancake when done from that side and cook from the other side.

 

 

 

 

When done serve hot as it is or with any pickle.

 

 

Some ideas:

If you have sugar syrup of gulab jamuns, jalebis, rasgullas etc., you can use that too to make these pancakes.