It’s Pancake Day this week! And I’m going to share with you my tried and tested pandan pancake recipe – no premix packets needed here!
I love Pancake Day, a day that doesn’t conform to the usual rules. It used to be my favourite day growing up, and every year as I see the Pancake Day supplies filling up the shops I get a twang of nostalgia. How can it not be the best day, you can eat pudding for your main course – winner!
Living in Asia, pancakes are widely available and used for both sweet and savoury recipes. Pandan pancakes are popular and when I can find them, are my must have dish on any menu. I first tried them in Bali, known as Kue Serabi, they are mini fluffy discs served with palm sugar and coconut and after that first taste I was hooked. Next I found it was a signature dish at The Daily Fix Melaka, so promptly sought them out. They were epic.
Nigella Lawson is tipping pandan to be the ingredient of 2018, saying it will be the next big thing after avocados and matcha. This sweet ingredient, similar to vanilla but definitely not the same, is an Asian staple. It gives the beloved national dish of Malaysia, Nasis Lemak, its distinctive flavour and is used to make cakes and Crème Brule amongst other things. Pandan leaves are cheap as chips here and widely available, but if you don’t have access to them pandan (you can buy them here Pandan Leaf 200g
Making essence from pandan leaves – take 15 leaves, trimming so you are only using the greenest parts. Add to blender (I use this amazing multi blender – Philips HR7628/01 PowerChop Daily Collection Food Processor with Blending Jug, 650 W – White
Ingredients for pandan pancake recipe
- 50g caster sugar
- 50g melted butter
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 1 egg
- 150 g flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 200ml coconut milk
- 1 tsp pandan extract or 3 tbsp pandan leaves blitzed with water – see above. If Pandan is not your jam use vanilla essence instead.
Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth. You are looking for a batter that is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Heat some butter in a pan, I like to remove some of the excess liquid with a kitchen towel so the pancakes don’t get too buttery. Add the batter to the middle of the pan and cook on both sides tossing it to turn if you dare!
Serve with maple syrup or honey and sour fruits like berries.
Other recipes can be found here recipes
