It’s no secret that Malaysians love their desserts. If you’re looking for something delicious, easy to make, and quintessentially Malaysian, here’s a recipe for kuih ketayap – or sometimes called kuih dadar, depending on which part of the country you’re from.
It’s basically a light crepe filled with sweet coconut, neatly presented in the form of aesthetically pleasing light-green rolls. With coconut shavings and grated gula Melaka, it might sound indulgent but don’t be fooled: the buttery thin, fluffy pancake balances out the sweetness of the filling, resulting in a totally addictive treat.
Ingredients
For the crepe
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 and 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- green food colouring
For the filling
- 70g gula Melaka
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 pandan leaves, tied together
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200g fresh shredded coconut
Method
- Start with the filling. If using gula Melaka blocks, break them into smaller pieces so they dissolve faster in the pan.
- On low heat, bring the water, gula Melaka, and pandan leaves to a simmer. Once the sugar has dissolved, add salt and stir.
- Add the fresh shredded coconut and mix to thoroughly coat with the liquid sugar. Remove from heat and set aside.
- On to the pancakes. Whisk the water, coconut milk, eggs, and salt together.
- Add flour and stir until fully combined. Your batter should not be too thick: remember to go for a crepe-like consistency.
- Add 2-3 drops of food colouring and mix.
- Now heat a pan and lightly coat it with oil. You may opt to use knotted pandan leaves to coat the surface of the pan, giving it added fragrance and flavour.
- Scoop a ladle of batter and pour it into the pan. Let it cook lightly, and once the surface of the crepe is dry, transfer to a plate.
- Place two teaspoons of coconut filling on one side of the crepe. Gently fold the closest edge of the crepe over the coconut and tuck it in.
- Now fold the left and right sides of the crepe and roll it all the way to the end to create a log.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter and coconut filling until it is all used up. Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- Use white sugar if you don’t have palm sugar. Optionally, you may add rose or vanilla essence.
- Coconut milk is added to the batter to keep the crepe soft, and is particularly useful if you are not serving the ketayap right away. That said, if you’re not a fan, you may omit the coconut milk.
- Enjoy the kuih on its own, or elevate it with a drizzle of thick coconut milk. Just heat some in a saucepan over a gentle fire, add a pinch of salt, and you’ve got yourself a good pairing sauce.
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of its people, food and places.