Malaysian Pandan pancakes with palm sugar and coconut stuffing

Coconut features prominently in a lot of Malaysian sweets. We use coconut is many different ways, from the pieces of white flesh of an older coconut (not the young green ones), grated fresh coconut to the milk from squeezing the grated coconuts. All this is easily available from the wet markets to order all over Malaysia.

Over in the UK, it’s not so easy to get coconut like this so we have to substitute with using canned or powdered coconut milk and dessicated coconut. For most recipes, these work quite well.

This Nyonya Pandan Pancake (Kuih Dadar) recipe is a tea time favourite, sold in lots of street food stalls. It’s a pandan flavoured pancake filled with a grated coconut filling sweetened with dark caramel flavoured Gula Melaka, Malaysian palm sugar. Yes, it is meant to be green as it uses the juice of the pandan leaves for both flavouring and colouring.

It’s quite easy to make and the filling can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge.

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Malaysian Pandan pancakes with palm sugar and coconut stuffing

A very simple but delicious pancake recipe made with a coconut milk pancake batter and a sweet and unctious coconut filling

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Ingredients

For the filling

• 400 g dessicated coconut
• 150 g Malaysian Gula Melaka palm sugar
• 3 strips of pandan leaves
• 125 ml water
• 5 tbsp sugar

For the pancake batter

• 300 g plain flour
• 250 ml pandan water blend 250ml water + 15 pandan leaves
• 400 ml/ 1 Can Coconut Milk
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil some butter for frying
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

For the batter

• Blend the pandan leaves with some water
• Squeeze the green juice through some muslin or a fine sieve. This will result in a fragrant jewel green liquid
• Sift the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well, add the salt
• Pour in the liquids and the egg and mix well
• Adjust your ingredients to make a batter that coats the back of your spoon
• Leave aside and make the filling

Coconut Filling

• To make the filling, chop up the Gula Melaka
• In a pan, melt the Gula Melaka, sugar and the pandan leaves in water over a slow heat
• When the sugar is melted, add the coconut and stir well
• If the mixture looks a bit too dry, add a bit of water
• Cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes as you want the coconut mixture to be moist and not dry
• Let it cool before the next step
• Make the pancakes in a small frying pan or a specialised crepe pan. It might take a few test pancakes to get the pan seasoned correctly. You can use oil and a bit of butter to oil the pan for a bit of flavour and to prevent sticking
  
• Spoon about 2 tbsp of the pancake batter evenly and cook for about 1 minute. It should be cooked through but not too brown
• Layout the pancake on a clean surface and spoon on 2 tbsp of the coconut filling
• Fold like a spring roll
  
• To serve cut at an angle and serve with some ice cream and if you like a drizzle of melted Gula Melaka.

Notes

Don't be alarmed by the colour as it should be green from the pandan leaves.