Martabak manis
Thick sweet pancake
A thick, honeycombed sweet pancake from Indonesian night markets, buttered and folded around chocolate, peanuts and condensed milk
After dark, martabak manis stalls all over Indonesia fire up their heavy iron pans, and a queue forms for one thick, spongy pancake cooked until its top is pocked with holes, then slathered with butter and folded over chocolate sprinkles, crushed peanuts, sugar and condensed milk. It's often called terang bulan, "bright moon", and is said to have come from Bangka island before spreading through Java. It's sold by the box to share with family. Chef's tip: let the bubbles form and stay open before you add the sugar and cover the pan — that open honeycomb is what soaks up the butter.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the batter
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups whole milklukewarm
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tbsp water
For the filling
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoft
- 1 ¾ oz chocolate sprinkles
- 1 ¾ oz roasted peanutscoarsely crushed
- 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1 oz mild Cheddar (optional)finely grated; the popular half-and-half topping
- 1 tsp vegetable oilfor the pan
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 9 oz plain flour, 1 ⅜ oz caster sugar, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tsp instant yeast in a bowl. Beat in 1 egg and 1 ¼ cups whole milk to a smooth batter like thick pancake batter. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until bubbly and slightly risen.
5 minStep 2: Dissolve ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda in 1 tbsp water and stir it into the batter just before cooking; it will loosen and foam slightly.
1 minStep 3: Heat a heavy 24 cm frying pan (cast iron is best) over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then wipe with 1 tsp vegetable oil. The pan needs to be evenly hot; a too-hot pan is the classic mistake, burning the base before the middle sets.
5 minStep 4: Pour in all the batter and swirl a little up the sides. Cook uncovered for 3–4 minutes until the surface is covered in holes that stay open and the top looks almost set.
4 minStep 5: Sprinkle 2 tbsp caster sugar over, cover with a lid and cook for 5–8 minutes more, until the top is completely set and springs back and the base is deep golden brown. Check by lifting the edge with a palette knife.
7 minStep 6: Slide the pancake onto a board. While it's hot, spread with 1 ¾ oz butter so it melts into the holes, then scatter one half with 1 ¾ oz chocolate sprinkles, 1 ¾ oz roasted peanuts and 1 oz mild Cheddar, if using, and drizzle with 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk.
2 minStep 7: Fold the plain half over, press gently and spread a little more butter on top. Cut into 6–8 thick slices and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does martabak manis take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sayur lodehVegetables in coconut milk
Sayur lodeh is everyday cooking in Central Java, made in big pots in Solo and Semarang kitchens and ladled over rice, with lontong rice cakes at Lebaran, or alongside opor and sambal goreng on festive tables. It's soupy rather than thick: a fragrant broth of coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass and lime leaf that carries chunks of aubergine, long beans, chayote and sweetcorn, plus tempeh and tofu to make it a meal. The flavour is mellow and slightly sweet, so the heat comes from sambal on the side. Chef's tip: keep the pot at a gentle simmer once the coconut milk goes in and stir now and then — a rolling boil splits the coconut milk into oily curds.
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan