Destination
Ipoh
The story
Apam balik ("folded pancake") is one of Malaysia's most beloved night-market snacks: a thin, slightly sweet pancake batter cooked in a heavy round pan until the bottom is deep gold and the top has bubbled with holes, then loaded with crushed roasted peanuts, sugar, tinned sweetcorn and a thick smear of butter along one half, folded into a half-moon, and served straight from the pan in a paper cone. Sold from small carts at every pasar malam (night market) in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and George Town, cooked to order in about 4 minutes.
Method
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and bicarbonate. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg into the warm milk with the oil. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk until smooth. Rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours), until slightly bubbly on top.
Warm a wide non-stick pan (or a proper apam balik pan) over medium-low heat with a tiny brush of oil. The pan should be warm enough that a drop of batter sizzles gently but not smoke.
Give the batter a quick whisk. Pour about a ladleful into the pan and tilt slightly to spread into a round about 18cm across. Cover with a lid.
Cook 3 to 4 minutes with the lid on, until the top has bubbled with visible holes across the surface and the bottom is deep golden. The top should be just set but still slightly moist; don't wait for it to dry out.
Scatter the crushed peanuts, sugar and sweetcorn evenly across one half of the pancake. Dot the butter cubes across the same half so they'll melt when folded.
Using a wide spatula, fold the empty half of the pancake over the filled half to form a half-moon. Press gently for 30 seconds to seal.
Slide onto a plate or into a small paper cone. Cut in half if you want to share; eat immediately, ideally with a hot teh tarik alongside.
Tips
- Rest the batter properly. 30 minutes minimum; 2 hours is better. The yeast and bicarbonate need time to develop the classic bubbled surface that traps the fillings.
- Medium-low heat, covered. High heat browns the bottom before the top sets; medium-low with a lid gives you the correct golden bottom and bubbled top.
- Cold butter cubes, not softened. Cold butter melts slowly when the pancake is folded, distributing evenly through the fillings. Softened butter turns the whole thing into a greasy slick.
- Fold while the top is still slightly moist. Waiting until the top is dry makes the pancake stiff and hard to fold neatly. A slight sheen on top means it's ready.
- Sweetcorn is not a mistake. Malaysian apam balik always includes tinned sweetcorn alongside the peanuts and sugar. Skipping it makes the dish less specifically Malaysian.
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