Who doesn’t like waffles? They are light, crispy, have perfect little indentations just to hold the right amount of maple syrup and butter. Yum! But have you ever tried savory waffles? Those are really good especially if you prefer salty to sweet for breakfast or brunch like I do.
For some reason I always feel hungry a few hours after I have something sweet for breakfast. It must be something with my metabolism! Thank God there are many wonderful vegan savory options for breakfast. Some of our favorites are Tofu scramble, Conjee (rice porridge), Okonomiyagi (cabbage frittata), Pupusas, Green chilaquiles… you get the idea!
These savory waffles are a fusion of my favorite Asian flavors: lime, cilantro and sweet chili paste. They go so well together. The lime and cilantro create a fresh flavor spiked by the sweetness and light heat of the chili sauce.
Even though these waffles are eggless, they hold really well and have a light and crispy texture. You just need to finely mince the fresh cilantro, chives and lime zest. Mix everything together and cook as usual in your waffle maker.
Homemade sweet chili sauce
Usually served as a dipping sauce for dumplings, eggrolls, it is sweet, a little sour and just the right amount of spiciness. What’s not to like? You can now find sweet chili sauce in the Asian section of most grocery stores but it is quite easy to make. This way you are sure that there is no MSG or artificial flavors added.
Traditional sweet chili sauce is made with fresh red chilis but sambal Oelek (chili paste), or garlic chili paste works just as good and you don’t have to handle the chilis and seeds. It is a wonderful shortcut that saves time. This sauce is great addition to any stir fry, rice bowl. dressing for Asian salad, you name it.
Brands of sweet chili paste
Two of the most easily found brands sauces are Thai Kitchen and Mae Ploy.
Thai Kitchen has no artificial flavors, or colors. It is also a gluten-free product.
Both use xanthan gum as a stabilizer.
Cilantro Lime Waffles with Sweet Chili Sauce
Equipment
- Waffle maker
- Silicone brush or oil spray.
- Whisk or blender
Ingredients
Waffle batter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 cup Plain non-dairy milk (soy, almond etc.)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely minced fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 1 lime zest
- 1/2 cup finely minced chopped green onions
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
Sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup white or raw sugar
- 2-3 tbsp chili paste (Sambal Oelek)
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
Sweet chili sauce
- Heat up all the ingredients except the cornstarch slurry and stir ,until the sugar has dissolved.
- Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water. Add to the other ingredients.
- Stir until the sauce starts to thicken and go from cloudy to clear.
- This only takes a minute or so. Use immediately or refrigerate for later.
Make the waffles
- Finely mince the cilantro.
- Zest the lime.
- In a large bowl combine the liquid ingredients: non-dairy milk, water, cider vinegar, olive oil with the lime zest and minced cilantro.
- Add the seasonings: turmeric powder, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper,
- Whisk well.
- Heat up the waffle maker.
- Pour a ladle of batter and cook until crisp.
- Serve each waffles hot and drizzle some of the sweet chili sauce.
