MALAYSIAN NET PANCAKES
Malaysian net pancakes are a brilliant accompaniment to curries, as an alternative to rice. They resembles a net, hence the name, and they are soft and slightly chewy in texture. When dipped into curry, they hold the sauce really well. Traditionally, to create the net pattern, a special mould is used, but to get a similar effect you can just pour the batter into a squeezy bottle and swirl it into the pan, or just make a normal pancake without the pattern – it tastes just as good!
Makes about 8 pancakes
100g plain flour
⅓ tsp salt
⅓ tsp turmeric
1 free-range egg
100ml water
100ml semi-skimmed milk
vegetable oil, for frying
Mix the flour, salt and turmeric together. Beat the egg and add it to the flour mixture, then add the water and milk. Whisk the batter well to avoid lumps.
Strain the batter through a sieve and into a jug. Transfer the batter into a squeezy bottle, or cook as you would cook normal pancakes.
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat (you only need enough to coat the pan) and drizzle the batter as quickly as you can into the pan, in a random fashion, to form a net (if you like). Cook for 30–40 seconds on 1 side, then flip the pancake to cook it on the other side. They cook really quickly so watch them closely. Repeat until you have used up all the batter, placing the cooked pancakes between layers of greaseproof paper to stop them sticking.
You can serve the pancakes flat or rolled up. To roll, fold the 2 sides in (about 1cm in on both sides), then roll up.
