(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...These bite-sized Lao coconut rice pancakes are a beloved street snack, made from a simple batter of rice flour and coconut milk that puffs into fluffy golden domes when cooked in a hemispherical pan. Slightly sweet and delicately flavored with coconut, they have crisp golden bottoms and tender, cake-like centers that are traditionally eaten warm as a quick breakfast or afternoon treat.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins
Servings4
Yield20 small pancakes (4 servings)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 320 kcalCalories
- 14 gFat
- 11 gSaturated Fat
- 48 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 22 gSugar
- 4 gProtein
- 180 mgSodium
- 220 mgPotassium
- 30 mgCalcium
- 1.5 mgIron
- 1 mgVitamin C
- 5 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1 1/2 cups (200 g) rice flour
- 1/4 cup (35 g) tapioca starch
- 3/4 cup (150 g) finely chopped palm sugar, or granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) full-fat coconut milk, well shaken
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1/3 cup (35 g) finely shredded dried coconut, optional
- 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
Directions
- Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate cup, stir the yeast into 2 tablespoons of warm coconut milk (about 100°F) and let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Pour the yeast mixture and the remaining coconut milk into the dry ingredients, then whisk until completely smooth with no lumps. Stir in the shredded coconut and melted butter. Cover and let the batter rest at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until bubbly and slightly puffed.
- Heat a khanom krok pan (or an æbleskiver or takoyaki pan) over medium-low heat and brush each well generously with melted butter or coconut oil.
- Stir the rested batter gently, then fill each well about three-quarters full with roughly 1 tablespoon of batter. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the tops puff up into rounded domes and the bottoms turn deep golden brown.
- Carefully lift each cake out with a small wooden skewer or thin spatula and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, re-greasing the wells between batches, until all the pancakes are cooked.
- Serve the pancakes warm on their own, or pair them with shredded fresh young coconut, a drizzle of palm sugar syrup, or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for an extra layer of flavor.
Cook’s Notes
- If you do not have a khanom krok pan, an æbleskiver pan or takoyaki maker works perfectly; you can also use a nonstick mini muffin tin, though the dome shape will be slightly different.
- The batter should be pourable but not too thin; if it seems watery after resting, whisk in 1 tablespoon of extra rice flour to thicken it.
- Keep the heat at medium-low so the centers cook through before the bottoms burn; covering the pan traps steam and helps the tops puff into domes.
- Leftover pancakes are best eaten the same day but can be refreshed by reheating in a steamer or low oven for a few minutes to restore their softness.
- For a savory variation, fold 2 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions and 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds into the rested batter just before cooking.
