What is Pancake Tuesday?

From Wikipedia

Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day is the day in February or March immediately preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes. In others, especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of “fat eating” or “gorging” before the fasting period of Lent.

This moveable feast is determined by Easter. The expression “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the word shrive, meaning “absolve.^[1] Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodistsand Roman Catholics,^[2] who “make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God’s help in dealing with.”^[3]

As this is the last day of the liturgical season historically known as Shrovetide, before the penitential season of Lent, related popular practices, such as indulging in food that one gives up for the upcoming forty days, are associated with Shrove Tuesday celebrations. The term Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

PANCAKES    (Mais Recipes)          

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• ½ cup boiled rice (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups fresh coconut, grated
• 1 cup jaggery, grated (or as per taste)
• 6 cardamoms, powdered
• Or 1 tsp. vanilla essence

Method

1. Wash and soak rice for 4 to 6 hours. 
2. Grind to a fine paste. 
3. Add salt and reserve. 
4. Mix the coconut and jaggery and cook till blended. 
5. Add cardamom or vanilla essence and let it cool. 
6. Heat a griddle and smear with oil. 
7. Spread two ladles of batter and rotate the griddle to spread the batter evenly and cover. 
8. When the pancake is cooked, turn the pan on a flat plate. 
9. Place a tablespoon of the coconut/jaggery mixture at one end of the pancake, fold in the sides and roll.

To prepare instant pancakes with all purpose flour

• 1 cup flour (maida)
• 1 egg, Salt to taste
• Sieve the maida.

• Make a well in the centre and add the egg, salt and enough water to form a thin batter.
• Beat till smooth and no lumps remain.
• Set aside for ½ an hour.
• Heat a frying pan, brush with oil and spread 1/3 cup batter to coat the pan evenly.
• Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• When the pancake is cooked, turn the pan onto a flat plate.
• Repeat as above with the coconut/Jaggery filling