Coconut-stuffed Pani Pol pancakes

Name: Coconut-stuffed Pani Pol pancakes
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: about 10
Ingredients: 60ml water; 60g palm sugar, chopped; 60g dark muscovado sugar; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 cloves; seeds from 2 green cardamom pods, finely ground; 150g desiccated coconut; ¼ tsp fine sea salt

Helen Goh

November 1, 2024

The sweetness and spice are beautifully balanced by the soft, thick crêpes. William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:about 10

On holidays in Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, I got hooked on these coconut pancake snacks sold by a street vendor near our hotel. The grated coconut filling was mixed with syrup made from the sap of the local kithul palm and scented with cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. It sounds heady, but the sweetness and spice were beautifully balanced by the soft, thick crêpes. I’ve combined palm sugar and dark muscovado sugar here to approximate the kithul syrup and added a simple coconut sauce to spoon over if serving as dessert. The recipe looks long, I know, but each step is very easy.

Ingredients

FOR THE COCONUT FILLING

60ml water
60g palm sugar, chopped
60g dark muscovado sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
seeds from 2 green cardamom pods, finely ground
150g desiccated coconut
¼ tsp fine sea salt

FOR THE CRêPES

135g plain flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs
200ml coconut milk (from 1 x 400ml tin), 200ml reserved
150ml water
1 tbsp sunflower (or other flavourless) oil, plus 1 tbsp extra for cooking the crêpes

FOR THE SAUCE (OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED)

200ml coconut milk
15g palm sugar, roughly chopped
15g dark muscovado sugar
1½ tsp tapioca flour (or cornflour)
pinch of fine sea salt

Method

Step 1
Begin by making the coconut filling. Combine the water, sugars, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom in a medium saucepan and place over low heat. Stir until the sugars have dissolved, then add the coconut and salt. Stir gently until the coconut absorbs all the brown syrup and looks moist and glossy (3-5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Discard the cinnamon stick and cloves.
Step 2
To make the crêpes, sift the flour, sugar, turmeric, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, then create a well in the middle and add the eggs. Whisk the eggs to break them up, then add the coconut milk, water and oil. Whisk together to combine, then strain the batter through a fine mesh sieve into a large pouring jug. The batter can be made ahead and kept, covered, for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Step 3
When ready to cook the crêpes, place an 18cm crêpe pan over medium heat. When hot, dribble about ¼ teaspoon of oil into the pan, then swipe all over with kitchen paper. Pour about 50ml of the batter (an American ¼ cup measure is very useful here) into the centre of the pan and immediately swirl it around to form a thin, even layer. Cook for about 1 minute until the top of the crêpe looks dry and the underside is lightly golden brown, then flip it and cook for another 30 seconds or so. The crêpes should remain soft and not too brown. Transfer the crêpe to a plate and set aside while cooking the remaining crêpes in the same way, adding a swipe of oil before each one.
Step 4
When ready to assemble, place the crêpes, one at a time, on a clean, flat surface. Spread about 2 tablespoons (25g) of the filling across the bottom third of the crêpe, leaving 3cm clear on either side. Fold the bottom end of the crêpe over the filling, then fold the sides in and firmly roll up the crêpe. Place, seam side down, on a serving plate and repeat with the remaining crêpes.
Step 5
When ready to serve, make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and whisk gently until the mixture comes to a boil, then simmer for a few seconds more. Remove from the heat and whisk the sauce until smooth, then pour into a small serving jug. Drizzle the sauce over the crêpes just before serving, or pass the jug around to drizzle over.