Discover how to make Indonesian coconut pancakes locally known as Dadar Gulung with this easy-to-make step-by-step picture recipe with useful info & tips. Dadar Gulung is green-colored pancakes (or crepes) filled with sweetened coconut, a popular snack in Indonesia. A great teatime snack for anyone who loves authentic flavors of coconut.
What is Dadar Gulung
In the Indonesian language, ‘dadar’ literally means ‘pancake’ while ‘gulung’ means ‘to roll’.
So, Dadar Gulung literally means rolled pancakes or pancake rolls.
Similar pancakes around the world
There are similar types of pancakes filled with sweetened coconut called by different names known as kuih gulung, kuih ketayap, kuih lenggang, alle belle, and many more names, especially in the South Asia region.
I am very inquisitive about the origin of coconut pancakes. if anyone does know more details about the origin of these coconut pancakes, please enlighten me on the subject.
Dadar Gulung vs panipol Pancakes
Dadar Gulung is almost similar to Sri Lankan Panipol Pancakes but with few differences. The first thing is color. Dadar Gulung is green while Panipol Pancakes is yellow.
Cardamom is widely used to give the aroma and flavor to the coconut filling in Sri Lanka while in Indonesia cinnamon or/and pandan leaves are widely used.
BEST SRI LANKAN COCONUT PANCAKES (PANIPOL PANCAKES)
Pandan? What is it?
Species: Pandanus amaryllifolius
Common Name: Screwpine, Fragrant Pandan, Pandan Rampeh
Native to: Southeast Asia
Pandan is a tropical plant with long green leaves and can be found throughout Southeast Asia and South Asia. Leaves are aromatic and used in a variety of recipes for authentic taste and flavor.
Pandan extract
Dadar Gulung is traditionally colored with pandan extract extracted from pandan* leaf, a natural food coloring.
Pandan extracts are sold in some Asian stores. I got mine from one of my Indonesian friends. (Thanks Dini).
How to make Dadar Gulung?
You will find an endless number of recipes for making Dadar Gulung. That is true for almost every local food, each family has its own recipe and cooking style.
Dadar Gulung is very similar to Sri Lankan Coconut Pancakes. So in this post, I used my Sri Lankan Panipol Pancake recipe with a few changes.
Sweetened Coconut Filling
The sweetened coconut filling is traditionally made with freshly grated coconut and palm sugar flavored with cinnamon. Adding a piece of pandan leaf for aroma is also very common.
In this recipe, I used desiccated coconut, a mix of palm sugar and coconut sugar. You can make the filling ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for around a week.
Dadar Gulung pancakes
Pancakes for Dadar Gulung are not that much different from regular crepes. However, in this recipe, we need to make soft, smooth bit thicker pancakes instead of thin crispy marbled crepes.
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Pancake batter
You can make the batter either just before you cook your pancakes or ahead of time and then refrigerate until you use them. If you keep the batter in the fridge, stir and allow the batter to come to room temperature before cooking.
Cover and rest the batter for at least half an hour before you are making the pancakes. Resting the batter does make lighter pancakes.
Cooking the pancakes
We need soft smooth pancakes with nice green color. So cooking these pancakes are bit different from making regular crepes.
First, heat the pan over low medium and grease with oil lightly. Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and immediately swirl to coat the bottom evenly and thinly. Then cook for about 40 seconds over low heat until the top appears dry.
Don’t cook your pancakes until browned on the bottom and the edges and don’t flip them to make nice-looking smooth pancakes.
Dadar Gulung; Ingredients
- Coconut: Nothing beats the milky flavor of freshly grated coconut. However, when it’s not available, you can also use desiccated coconut.
- Sugar: I used Indonesian palm sugar with some brown sugar to make the syrup. You can use any kind of palm sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, or honey for making the syrup.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is used to give the aroma. If possible, use a cinnamon stick to give a mild flavor. If you use cinnamon powder, add about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Remove the cinnamon stick before using the filling.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or plain flour.
- Coconut milk: Fresh coconut milk is the best. You can also use canned coconut milk or use coconut powder to make coconut milk. And if you cannot find coconut milk, use dairy milk.
- Eggs: Use eggs at room temperature.
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhance the flavor and taste.
- Pandan extract: The batter is traditionally colored with pandan extract extracted from pandan leaf, a natural food coloring. If you cannot find pandan extract, you could color your pancakes with green food coloring or make them uncolored just like you make crepes.
More Crepe & Thin Pancake Recipes
dadar gulung (Indonesian coconut pancakes) step-by-step recipe
Preparation time 20 mins (plus resting time)
Cooking time 15 mins
Total time 30 mins
Serving 6 pancakes
Ingredients
For the filling
150g desiccated coconut
100g palm sugar, cut into small chunks or grated
50g brown sugar or cane sugar
150ml water
Cinnamon stick (about 3 to 5cm)
for Pancakes
125 g all-purpose flour, sifted
280 ml thin coconut milk, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
A few drops of pandan extract
Instruction
MAKE THE Sweetened COCONUT FILLING
Ingredients for making sweetened coconut filling
First, make the syrup. Place palm sugar, brown sugar, water and in a pot. Cook until sugar dissolves for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Adding a cinnamon stick or piece of pandan leaf for aroma is very common but optional.
Lower the heat and add the coconut and cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until all the coconut is coated with the syrup.
Remove from heat and let it cool. The mixture will get dry as it cools. Remove the cinnamon stick or pandan leaf, if used.
Make the pancake batter
Ingredients for making pancake batter
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Make a well in the center and pour the eggs.
Beat the eggs lightly.
Add half of the coconut milk a little at a time and whisk the flour into the egg mixture until forms a smooth thick paste.
Add the rest of the milk and whisk vigorously until you have a smooth batter.
Your batter should be smooth. Strain the batter if there are any lumps.
Add pandan extract or green food coloring if desired. Mix well until you have a batter uniform in color. If you choose not to color your batter, just skip this step.
Cover and rest the batter for about 10 minutes or so before you make the pancakes.
Cook the pancakes
We need to make soft smooth pancakes with nice green color. Heat the pan over low medium and grease with oil lightly, yes very lightly.
Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and immediately swirl to coat the bottom evenly and thinly. Then cook for about 30 seconds or so over LOWER HEAT until the top appears dry. DO NOT cook until browned on the bottom and the edges. I didn’t flip the pancake.
Loosen the edges of the pancake with a thin spatula carefully then remove it to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.
Look! A soft smooth pancake with nice green color.
Assemble
Place a pancake on a serving plate cooked side out and put 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the crepe.
Fold the left in and the right side in,
and then roll the pancake up from the bottom.
Repeat with the remaining pancakes and filling.
Serve warm with a hot cup of tea!
Dadar Gulung (Indonesian Coconut Pancake) Printable Recipe
Indonesian Coconut Pancakes (Dadar Gulung)
Ingredients
For the filling
- 150 g desiccated coconut
- 100 g palm sugar cut into small chunks or grated
- 50 g brown sugar or cane sugar
- 150 ml water
- Cinnamon stick about 5cm
For Pancakes
- 125 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 280 ml thin coconut milk, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- A few drops of pandan extract
Instructions
First make the syrup
- Place palm sugar, brown sugar, water and in a pot. Cook until sugar dissolves for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Adding a cinnamon stick or piece of pandan leaf for aroma is very common but optional.
- Lower the heat and add coconut and cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until all the coconut is coated with the syrup.
- Remove from heat and let it cool. The mixture will get dry as it cools. Remove the cinnamon stick or pandan leaf, if used.
Make the pancake batter
- Add half of the coconut milk a little at a time and whisk the flour into the egg mixture until form a smooth thick paste.
- Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Make a well in the centre and pour the eggs.
- Beat the eggs lightly.
- Add the rest of the milk and whisk vigorously until you have a smooth batter.
- Your batter should be smooth. Strain the batter if there are any lumps.
- Add pandan extract or green food coloring if desired. Mix well until you have a batter uniform in color. If you choose not to color your batter, just skip this step.
- Cover and rest the batter for about 10 minutes before you making the crepes.
Cook the pancakes
- We need to make soft smooth crepes with nice green color. Heat the pan over low medium and grease with oil lightly, yes very lightly.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into pan and immediately swirl to coat bottom evenly and thinly. Then cook for about 30 seconds or so over lower heat until top appears dry. DO NOT cook until browned on the bottom and the edges. DO NOT flip it.
- Loosen the edges of the pancake with a thin spatula carefully then remove it to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.
Assemble
- Place a crepe on a serving plate cooked side out and put 2 tablespoons of filling down the centre of the crepe.
- Fold left in and the right side in, and then roll the pancake up from the bottom.
- Repeat with the remaining pancakes and filling.
- Serve & Enjoy!
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