Delicate lacy pancakes, Langkawi food markets

A long queue had formed and people were having trouble deciding just which filling to choose. Mango perhaps or maybe strawberry or apple or banana or Nutella ?  How about a little alcohol (Bailey’s, Cointreau)?  Or what about trying a sweet Thai lotus nutpaste with water chestnuts?
Savoury crepes included chicken and avocado, ham and cheese, Fetta with tomato salsa and vegetarian chilli con carne.
The sweet crepe batter was the usual mix of flour, sugar, eggs and milk.  The savoury crepes were made with wholemeal flour and no sugar. There was also a wheaten-free batter and a dairy-free batter.
This colourful lively market offers an eclectic variety of cuisines and has become a meeting place for locals since it started in 1987.  Chairs and tables are set on the grass under the palm trees and people wine and dine on food from the various stalls as a big red sun sets into the Arafura sea.
Ken’s crepes are based on a traditional French crepe mixture. If making them at home, you will need to tilt and rotate a lightly greased small flat pan so that the batter covers the bottom and remains very thin. Served with lemon juice and sugar, they make a marvellous light dessert.  Or you could do the very traditional thing and make crepes suzette by serving them with a rich buttery sauce flavoured with lemon, orange, Cognac and Grand Marnier.
Thicker American-style pancakes are easier to make – though not as delicate – and you can’t fold them over.  You can, however, add a variety of ingredients to the batter and serve them stacked and served with fruit on the side, or with melted butter and maple syrup drizzled over the top.
In Asia,  pancakes are made from a variety of grains and beans.  The fabulous Southern Indian ‘dosas’ for example are made with lentil and rice flour.  No leavening agents, white flour or eggs are added but the mixture must ferment overnight.  Crisp and golden on the outside and softish within, they are traditionally filled with a mixture of spicy potatoes (‘masala dosa’) and onions and served with coconut or coriander chutney.
Batters made out of bean flour or soaked beans are also popular.  These can be seasoned just with salt. Sometimes freshly grated ginger, coriander and green chillies is added to give a tastier batter. ‘Mung dal dhoklas’, made from a batter of soaked mung bean dal, yoghurt, lemon juice, ginger and chillies are served with tea or lassi as a snack topped with popped mustard and sesame seeds and freshly chopped coriander and grated coconut.
In Sri Lanka, hoppers are very popular.  Made with leavened white flour and rice flour, they are cooked, covered, in a wok and end up looking a bit like crumpets. You can eat them with butter and jam – or a fiery sambal. Now there’s a way to start the day!

Basic Pancakes: for twelve basic American-style pancakes, sift together 185g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 3 tbsp caster sugar into the food processor bowl.  Process to combine then add 2 beaten eggs, 3 tbsp melted butter and 250ml – 300ml milk. Process quickly until the mixture forms a batter. That’s all there is to it. It’s a good idea to let the batter rest for an hour or two, covered. Alternatively, beat the mixture by hand, pouring the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients – don’t worry about the lumps. If the batter thickens while standing, add a little more milk.  Pour it from a spoon onto a lightly greased hot pan, allowing about 4tbsp batter per pancake. Use the spoon to make even rounds.  Think of the first one as an experiment – wait until bubbles form on top, about 2 – 3 minutes, then flip over – the second side will need half the amount of time as the first and won’t brown quite as evenly. Serve at once or keep warm in a teatowel, folding ends over to cover.