Indonesian Pancakes With Palm Sugar Syrup Recipe (Serabi Kinca)

Serabi (surabi or srabi) is traditional sweet snack from Java provinces especially West and Central Java. It made of rice flour, wheat flour, sago/tapioca flour, coconut milk and or panda paste as food coloring and flavouring agent. Traditionally, serabi is baked on the small clay pot. Anthony Bourdain refer this white or green in color round shaped snack as "pancake". Sundanese (West Java) serabi is eaten with sweet and savory kinca syrup, a mixture of palm sugar syrup and with coconut milk.

This recipe of serabi is one of the easiest. I love to use all purpose flour to create smooth and soft pancake. Pandanus paste give a unique and distinct flavor. Sweet palm sugar and coconut milk is definitely something different from maple syrup.

Serves 2 - 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder

1/2 tsp Pandan paste

Kinca syrup:

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup palm sugar or brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3 Pandan leaves

• Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Then gradually add water and stir to make a smooth batter.
• Add egg and Pandan paste. Stir to mix. Rest the batter for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat a lightly oiled cast iron over medium-high heat the lower the heat to the lowest setting. Ladle a scoop of batter onto the cast iron (about 1/4 cup for one pancake). Cook until the bottom part of the pancake is browned and the top part is set. Remove from the heat. Repeat the same procedure with remaining ingredients.
• To make the syrup: In a saucepan, bring to a boil coconut milk, sugar, salt and pandan leaves over medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
• To serve: Stack 2 or 4 pancakes and pour the palm sugar syrup. Enjoy it warm.