Kuih Dadar (Coconut Pancakes)

My hubby voluntered to go to the nearby shops to buy me some groceries which I had required and this included 2 small packs of coconut cream and 1 pack of pre-packed coconut milk. What he came back with was 2 big packs of coconut cream and 1 pack of pre-packed grated fresh coconut. I guess this is what you get when you send a man to do a woman's job ... (I seriously hope he is not reading this!).

Anyway with an "unplanned" ingredient at hand I decided to try my hand at making kuih dadar for the first time ("kuih" means cake or dessert in Malay). In plain English, it's a pancake with grated coconut filing. Okey to be exact it's a pandan-flavoured pancake with a filing of grated coconut and palm sugar. This pancake is a very popular Malay dessert and as with almost all Malay kuihs, the most common flavouring ingredients are coconut cream or milk, grated coconut, pandan (screwpines) leaves and palm sugar. This kuih is very delicious and quite addictive, and nothing beats eating it fresh and warm, hot from the gridle.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested to try out another popular local Malaysian kuih which is Onde-onde .



Kuih Dadar (Coconut Pancakes)
Makes about 25 pancakes

Ingredients:

150g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 small eggs, beaten
150ml (2/3 cup) thin coconut milk (you can substitute with plain milk)
100ml (1/2 cup less 5 tsp) pandan juice (refer below)
65ml (1/4 cup) water
1 Tbsp light vegetable oil (such as sunflower or soya)
1 1/2 portions coconut filing (refer below)
oil for greasing small frying pan

Method:

1) Sift flour and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and into this, pour in the eggs, coconut milk and pandan juice. Using a whisk, gradually incorporate the flour into the liquid, making a smooth batter free from lumps. (If you should have lumps, just strain the batter using a sieve)

2) Thin the batter down with the additonal 65ml of water and stir in the oil. Mix well. Cover bowl and allow batter to stand for 20 - 30 minutes.

3) Make the coconut filing and set aside to cool.

4) To make the pancakes, heat a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Using a heat-proof brush, lightly brush you pan with some oil. Ensure your pan is sufficient hot (a drop of water should sizzle instantly) before starting on the pancakes.

5) Stir batter, pour about 2 Tbsp of batter into the pan and immediately rotate the pan so that the batter covers the base in a thin layer. (You want to achieve a pancake size of about 5" circle) Allow batter to set and just begin to brown. Flip pancake over and allow the other side to cook, just for a few seconds.

6) Turn the pancake out onto a plate. Continue making the pancakes, stacking the finished ones on top of each other as you go along. As the batter tends to thicken as you cook the pancakes, you might need to thin it down with a tablespoon or 2 f water.





To Assemble:

Place 1 Tbsp of filing about 1/3 bottom of the pancake.
Fold both sides towards the middle and roll the pancake away from you, neatly enclosing the filing and creaing a little parcel.

To make the pandan juice:
(makes 1/2 cup)

6-8 large pandan leaves
150ml (2/3 cup) water

1) Rinse pandan leaves and cut into 2 cm lengths

2) Place leaves and water in a blender or chopper and process until pulverized. Pour through a fine strainer. Measure out required juice for recipe.

* If you cannot find pandan leaves, you can use the same equivalent of water and add about 2 tsp pandan paste (or essence). Add a bit of green colouring if essence is clear. Pandan essence can be bought at an Asian grocery shop

To make the coconut filing:
(makes 1 cup)

100g (2/3 cup) plam sugar, roughly chopped (can be bought at an Asian grocery shop)
75ml (1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) water
1 pandan leaf, knotted (can be omitted if you cannot find this)
100g (1 cup) freshly grated coconut

1) Place plam sugar and water in a pan and cook until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 10 minutes until liquid starts to thicken and become syrupy.

2) Add the pandan leaf and grated coconut and continue cooking over low heat for 10 -15 minutes until the filing is thick and glossy. Most of the liquid should have evaporated. Cool and use as desired. Keeps well if stored in a covered container in the fridge for about 3 - 4 days.