This coming Tuesday, 28 February 2017 is Pancake Day. Again. How time flies.
If you’re looking for a little twist to your normal pancake, make some kuih ketayap. It’s the traditional Malaysian filled crepes. While it may require a few more steps to the usual buttermilk pancakes, it is still relatively easy to make and you’d be able to whip up a batch in no time at all.
To make the crepe batter:
- 1 cup plain flour
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup water
- 3 pandan leaves (or a few drops of green food colouring/ pandan paste)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp oil
To make the coconut filing:
- 1½ cups freshly grated coconut
- ½ cup water
- 100g gula melaka (palm sugar)
- 1 pandan leaf, knotted
- 2 tsp corn starch + 1 tbsp water
Firstly, make the batter.
Extract the pandan juice by blending the pandan leaves with the ¾ cups of water. Strain through a sieve into a large bowl.
Add the other ingredients for the crepe to the pandan extract.
Whisk until lump free. You may use a blender if you wish. I simply used a wire whisk.
Allow the batter to sit for 30 mins to rest.
While waiting, prepare the coconut filling.
In a small pot, combine the water and gula melaka. Throw in the knotted pandan leaf. On medium heat, bring it to a boil.
If you don’t have any gula melaka, dark muscovado sugar is a good substitute. Use about ¼ to ⅓ cups (firmly packed). If you have really sweet tooth, you may add more sugar but for me, ¼ cup is sweet enough.
Add the grated coconut and let it simmer over low heat. The coconut will absorb most of the liquid.
Mix the corn starch and water to form a slurry and drizzle into the pot. Continue to mix for a minute or so. There should not be anymore liquid at this point.
Take off the heat and let it cool.
You want it to be moist so don’t cook until dry. I’m such a scatter brain I forgot to take a photo of the filling when done.
Now, to make the crepes.
Wipe some oil to a non-stick frying pan and heat up to medium heat. Using a small laddle (or ¼ cup measuring cup) scoope and pour the batter onto the pan and swirl the pan quickly so that the batter spreads to form a round thin layer.
It only takes a minute or two to cook. Once the surface has dried up and the sides start to curl in slightly, flip over and cook the other side for another 30 seconds or so.
Slide it of onto a plate to let it cool slightly.
Repeat the process until all the batter is finished.
In between making the crepes, you can assemble the kuih ketayap.
Spoon the coconut filling onto the edge of the crepe.
Roll it up snugly, folding the sides in at mid-point and continue to roll to the end.
This recipe makes roughly 8 kuih ketayap. You could end up with slightly different figures depending on how small or big you make yours.
Happy Pancakes Day!xo
Note: If it’s impossible for you to get grated coconut, substitute with dessicated coconut + a few spoons of coconut milk to bring back some moisture.