World pancake recipe: pani pol from Sri Lanka

Thin pancakes filled a hot sweet, syrupy filling are a decadent alternative for Shrove Tuesday"Pani Pol has always been a favourite of mine," says Peter Kuruvita, author of Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen. "My aunties used to make it as a treat for all of us, but I was particularly fond of it."The term "pani pol" refers specifically to the filling (which is also served with "imbul kiri" milk rice, and "lawariya" string hoppers). Traditional Sri Lankan pani pol recipes use a palm treacle base, but Kuruvita insists that golden syrup is a great substitute, and that the alarmingly large quantity still applies: "It may seem like a lot, but it's a very dense liquid."The result is a decadent pancake that has the syrupy sweetness associated with gulab jamun, jangiri and other Indian sweets. Perfect for an overcast Shrove Tuesday. Close your eyes, enjoy the exotic flavours and be whisked away to warmer climes.Sri Lankan pani pol by Peter Kuruvita, author of Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen(Makes 10-12)2 eggs65g plain flour300ml milk3tbsp vegetable oilA pinch of turmeric to colour the mixFor the filling:300g golden syrup2 cardamom pods2 cloves½ stick cinnamon100g freshly grated coconut1 stick of vanilla, split with the seeds scraped out50g grated palm sugar (now available at Ocado as well as specialist shops)Mix together all the ingredients for the pancake, making sure that there are no lumps. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If there are lumps, then stra...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Tags: theguardian.com Food & drink Recipes Life and style Dessert Source Type: news