Print Options:

Apam Balik – Asian Peanut Pancake

Back when I was studying in Australia years ago, every time I came back, Apam Balik is one of the must-have food items. These are easy enough to find. It's available throughout the week at the roadside stall or at the night market. I remembered the night market ones were especially delicious. Back then, they only had the standard filling of crushed peanuts, sweet corn and sugar.

Nowadays, it's a different story. Some stores allows you to customize it as you like. Fillings range from the sweet (chocolate) to savoury (chicken floss!) to somewhere in the middle (think - cheese).

The recipe shared below is close enough to replicate the flavour and texture of the Apam Balik I used to have back then. Hope you will give this a try and let me know how it turns out.

Cooking Method
Cuisine
Courses ,
Difficulty Beginner
Time
Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins
Servings 4
Description

As with the Apam Balik sold on the street, you can use the same batter for both the thick and thin version. However at home, it's harder to achieve the crispy texture for the thin version. 

This recipe makes 4 thick / 8 thin ones.

Ingredients
    Pancake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp margarine (melted)
  • A little turmeric powder/yellow food colouring (optional)
    • Topping
  • Sugar
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Creamy sweet corn
  • Margarine
Steps
  1. Mix dry ingredients

    In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Give it a mix. 

  2. Add wet ingredients

    Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add eggs and water. Mix well.

    Then, add in melted margarine and turmeric powder/yellow food colouring. Give it another mix to combine.

  3. Cook pancakes

    Heat up pan on medium heat. Once pan is hot, add in batter and reduce hear to medium-low.

    For thick pancakes, use around 3-4 ladleful of batter. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sides are brown and the middle has almost dry up.

    For thin pancakes use 1.5 ladle of batter. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sides are brown and the middle is dry.

    Make sure to use a good non-stick pan for this.
  4. Add toppings

    Sprinkle sugar and crushed peanuts around the pancakes.

    Add creamy sweet corn and margarine.

  5. Finish up and serve

    Fold the pancake in halves. Then remove from heat. Cut into 4 pieces.

    Best served hot. Enjoy!

Keywords: Snacks, Apam balik, Asian cooking, Local delights, Asian peanut pancakes
View online: https://annisasofia.com/recipes/apam-balik-asian-peanut-pancake/

Thank you for trying this recipe. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.