Shrove Tuesday Coconut Pancakes
This was a tradition in our home for as far as I can remember – Shrove Tuesday (rather, Pancake Tuesday as I preferred) falls on the day before the season of Lent commences. On that day, I’d return from school to find my mum preparing a batch for the family in the kitchen. Soon, I’d be savouring a plateful of this warm, sweet delicacy – the sweet, succulent filling of fresh coconut and raisins spiked with green cardamom, encased in a silky, soft wrapper. With a cup of hot tea on the side. Jaggery imparts a rich taste to the filling, and I prefer it to using white sugar.
Pancake batter
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
salt to taste
Filling
2 cups finely grated fresh coconut
1/3 cup powdered jaggery, or brown sugar
2 tbsp. small golden raisins or green raisins
seeds of 10 green cardamoms, powdered, or
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp. rose water (optional)
3 tbsp cashew nut pieces (optional)
salt to taste
- If using jaggery, mix with a little water (2 tbsp), and microwave it for 30 seconds or so, in order for it to dissolve
- Mix grated coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder and rose water and keep aside
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk, then mix in flour, salt and butter
- The batter should not be too thick, so add milk (or water) to thin the consistency. Refrigerate for an hour
- Heat a non-stick pan, coat thinly with butter or vegetable oil
- Pour 2-3 tbsp of batter mix into the center of the pan and swirl it around, till the bottom is coated
- Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes until done (it is not necessary to flip)
- Line about a tablespoon of the coconut filling in the pancake centre and fold the sides over to create a roll. Slide pancake onto a serving platter, do not stack
- Serve warm, drizzled with honey or agave syrup