Snack - Apom Telur Manis (Sweet Egg Pancake)

I like Indian apom (pancake) so I bought it during our last trip to Penang. Steve tried a few bites and had a good impression of it. One day, we talked about apom, and I said the original ones the Indian hawkers used to sell were baked using a clay pot with charcoal. They have more than three pots and only one or two lids, with a little charcoal put in the lid. Then they need to check the heat of the apom, so they move the lid from one pot to another. They covered this one and then that one…. The action of moving endlessly, as a metaphor: an immoral person trying hard to use something to cover those ‘falsehoods’ being made constantly by him/her-self!

I think most of the apom hawkers changed to use tiny iron woks with gas instead, and several apom hawkers in Penang are Chinese.

A recipe for Indian ‘apom/apam’ (pancake) - some people also call it apom manis, I call it apom telur manis (sweet egg pancake).

Ingredients – Makes 9 pieces

• 5 oz (150 g) rice flour
• 2/3 cup (180 ml) coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp dried yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 4 Tbsp (60 g) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/3 cup (100 ml) water
  

Method

1. Mix all ingredients together, strain into a smooth batter then cover with a clean tea towel and leave for 1 hour.
2. Heat a crepe pan (around 7 ½ inches) or a tiny wok over medium high heat. If it is not a non-stick pan/wok, lightly oil it. Pour about 1/3 cup (about 80ml) of batter and swirl it in the pan/wok so the batter coats the sides. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes over a gentle low heat, until the edges are light golden brown. Gently use a spatula to loosen the pancake from the pan/wok. Lift it out of the pan. Carefully wipe any remaining crumbs out of the pan, and continue the process with the rest of the batter.
3. Serve hot & crispy.
   

我很喜欢吃印度的apom，我回槟城时看到它，我买来吃也让Steve试了几口，他就对它印象深刻。这一天Steve谈起apom，我说以前传统的印度人卖的apom是用砂锅，三几个砂锅在火炭上烘制apom，将一、两个锅当盖子，盖子上面也可以放一点火炭，那卖apom的印度人须检视apom的熟度将锅盖从这个锅移到另一个锅，就是盖了这个后又得盖另一个... 没完没了的，有如比喻不节制的人在遮盖不断冒出来的‘谎言或漏洞’ ，或如捉襟见肘，顾此失彼！
我想槟城卖apom的人已大多改用小铁镬及煤气烘制了，也可见到有华人卖apom的。有人叫它apom／apam（apom manis），我叫它apom telur manis（sweet egg pancake）:

材料 - 可做 9片

• 5安士（150克） 粘米面粉
• 2/3杯（180豪升） 浓椰浆
• 1/2茶匙 乾酵母
• 1/2茶匙 盐
• 4汤匙（60克） 幼糖
• 4粒 鸡蛋（A級）
• 100豪升 水

做法

1. 将所有材料放入碗搅拌成均勻，然后碗上盖着毛巾让它发酵约1小时。
2. 用中上炉火烘热小镬或7寸半平底锅，然后用布拈少许油搽镬，舀入（1）材料约80豪升，旋转镬使材料到镬边，低炉火烘约2-3分钟至到apom呈金黃色，用铲刮离取出apom，重覆至做完（1）。
3. 香脆热食。