Malaysians, in general have a sweet tooth. We love eating sweets at any time of the day. Be it, breakfast, lunch, tea or even dinner, if there’s something sweet served, believe me, we will be there, rushing through the meal just to get to that sweet end. One of our favourites is Kuih Ketayap, sometimes called Kuih Dadar depending on which part of Malaysia you’re from. It is basically a light crepe filled with sweet coconut.
Crepe with a Malaysian Twist
Pancakes and crepes are delicious but you have to admit one thing though, they are not delicious when eaten by itself. Pancakes are often slathered with sweet syrup or jam. It’s a sticky, messy affair and we like it. However, don’t you wish there was a cleaner, neater way for you to enjoy a delicious treat like that?
Well, Kuih Dadar or Kuih Ketayap takes all that sticky yummy goodness and rolls it into crepe. It is basically a neatly wrapped green crepe, filled with fresh coconut made by mixing coconut shavings and grated gula Melaka.
Although it may sound a little overly indulgent, don’t let that fool you. The buttery thin, fluffy crepe balances out the sweetness of the coconut filling. It has a subtle sweetness that will have you addicted.
Ingredients:
a) Crepe
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- Green food coloring
b) Coconut Filling
- 70g gula Melaka (can be substituted with white or brown sugar)
- ½ cup water
- 3 pandan leaves, tied together
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 200g fresh shredded coconut
Method:
- Start by making the coconut filling. If you are using gula Melaka blocks, break them into smaller pieces so that they can dissolve faster in the pan.
- On low heat, ½ cup of water, gula Melaka and pandan leaves to a simmer.
- Once the sugars have completely dissolved, add salt and stir.
- Next add the fresh shredded coconut. Mix until it is thoroughly coated with the liquid sugar.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Now let’s work on the pancakes. With a whisk, mix the water, coconut milk, eggs and salt together.
- Add flour and stir until fully combined. Your batter should not be too thick. We’re going for a crepe like consistency rather than a pancake consistency.
- Add green food coloring. Just 2 or 3 drops will suffice. Mix.
- Heat a pan and lightly coat with oil. While not necessary, we use pandan leaves tied together as a utensil to coat the surface of the pan with oil. It adds a touch of pandan flavor.
- Scoop a ladle full of the green batter and pour onto the pan. Once the surface of the crepe is dry, gently lift off the pan and place in a plate.
- Place two teaspoons of the coconut onto side of the crepe. Fold the closest side of the crepe over the coconut and gently tuck in tightly. Fold the left and right sides of the crepe and just roll it all the way to the end until you’ve created a log.
Tips:
- You can use white sugar if you don’t have palm sugar. Instead, add rose essence or vanilla essence.
- Coconut milk is added to the batter to keep it soft. It is particularly useful if you are not serving this dessert right away. You can certainly omit the coconut milk.
- Kuih Ketayap can be enjoyed on its own, however, it is elevated with a drizzle of thick coconut milk. Just heat some coconut milk over a gentle fire, add a pinch of salt and you’ve got yourself a good sauce pairing. Easy peasy. Just be careful not to overcook the coconut milk.
Easy-Peasy Dessert
That wasn’t too hard to put together right? If you ask us personally, we feel Kuih Ketayap is a so much better than any ol’ butter pancake or crepe you can get out there but then again, it’s just our personal preference. To each their own, right?
Anyways, we’d love to hear your own experience trying out this recipe. Just slide into our Instagram DM or Facebook inbox in order to regal us with your attempt(s) of trying out this recipe.
If you have any questions or inquiries about this recipe, feel free to ask us and we’ll sure to give you the best advice on it. Other than that, good luck!