Panipol Pancakes (Sri Lankan Coconut Pancakes)
A great tea-time treat! Enjoy a blend of tropical flavors with these authentic Sri Lankan Coconut Pancakes with a cup of Sri Lankan (Ceylon) tea.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Non-stick Frying Pan (20 to 22 cm)
Ingredients
For filling
- 150 g desiccated coconut or freshly grated coconut
- 100 g palm sugar or brown sugar, cane sugar
- 50 g brown sugar or cane sugar
- 150 ml water
- 2 whole cardamom or ¼ tablespoon cardamom powder
For pancakes
- 125 g all-purpose flour or plain flour
- 280 ml thin coconut milk or dairy milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric optional
Instructions
Make the Coconut Filling
- Place palm sugar, brown sugar, water, and cardamom in a pan/pot. Heat until sugar dissolves for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring once a while.
- After lowering the heat, add the coconut and cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly until all the coconut is coated with the syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
- The mixture will get dry as it cools. Remember to remove the cardamom pods before using the filling.
Make the Pancakes
- Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add sugar, turmeric, and salt, and whisk all together. Make a well in the center and drop in the eggs. Whisk the eggs slightly while gradually adding the flour surrounding.
- Stir in coconut milk, a little at a time, whisking the flour surrounding into the liquid mixture until you have a thick paste. Making a thick paste first helps to make the batter without lumps.
- Gradually add in the remaining coconut milk, a little at a time, while whisking vigorously and continuously to thin the paste until you have a smooth lump-free batter uniform in color and consistency. Strain the batter if there are any lumps. You can use the batter immediately or rest it for about 30 minutes.
- Heat the pan over medium-low heat. Grease it with some oil lightly if needed. Stir and pour a ladleful of batter into the pan. Tilt to spread the batter to the edges of the pan.
- Lower the heat and cook the pancake for about 30 seconds or just until the top appears dry. Don’t brown on the bottom and the edges and don’t flip the pancake.
- Remove the pan from the heat to prevent browning the pancake. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula and carefully remove to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter adjusting the heat as needed. Stack the pancakes as you make them and cover them with a clean towel to keep them warm while you make the rest.
Assemble
- Place a pancake (nice-looking-side out)on a serving plate and put about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the pancake. Then, fold each pancake to form a rectangular packet. Repeat with the remaining pancakes.
- Serve warm with a hot cup of Sri Lankan (Ceylon) tea. ENJOY!