Pandan waffles (banh kep la dua)
Pandan waffles are a childhood snack for many Vietnamese, cooked in a honeycomb-patterned waffle iron until the outside is wonderfully crisp. Thanks to coconut milk and tapioca starch, the inside is soft and chewy rather than dry and fluffy like Western waffles, and the green pandan aroma fills the kitchen the moment you open the iron.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rising or chilling
- 30 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Method
- Pan-cooked or waffle iron
Ingredients
Batter
Preparing the waffle iron
Instructions
Step 1
Sift 150 g all-purpose flour, 50 g tapioca starch, 6 g baking powder and a pinch salt into a large bowl, then toss with 80 g granulated sugar. Mixing the dry ingredients well first spreads the baking powder throughout, so the waffles puff evenly. The mixture is ready when it is fine and loose with no lumps of tapioca starch.
Step 2
In another bowl, beat 100 g eggs, then add 200 g coconut milk, 30 g melted and cooled unsalted butter and 4 g pandan extract. Cooled butter will not cook the eggs into lumps and blends smoothly with the coconut milk. The wet mix is ready when it is evenly green with no streaks of egg white.
Step 3
Pour the wet mix into the dry and stir just until combined, then cover and let the batter rest for about half an hour. Resting lets the tapioca starch absorb the liquid, creating the soft, chewy texture these waffles are known for. The batter is ready when it is as thick as pouring cream with a few small bubbles on the surface.
Step 4
Plug in the waffle iron until it is fully hot, then brush a thin layer of to taste vegetable oil over both plates. A very hot iron sets the crust crisp right away and lets the waffles release easily. The iron is ready when the indicator light turns green or a drop of water sizzles immediately.
Step 5
Ladle in just enough batter to cover the plate, close the lid and cook for about four minutes without opening it partway. Keeping the lid shut lets the steam escape gradually so the waffle cooks evenly and the crust turns golden and crisp. The waffle is done when steam has almost stopped rising from the edges of the iron and the surface is green flecked with golden brown.
Step 6
Lift the waffle out and stand it upright on a rack for about a minute to let the steam escape, then enjoy it right away. An airy rack keeps steam from collecting underneath and softening the waffle. It is right when the outer edges sound crisp as you pick it up and the inside is green and chewy when you break it open.
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Pastry brush
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- If you have fresh pandan leaves, replace some of the coconut milk with blended pandan juice for a more natural color and aroma.
- These waffles are delicious dipped in thickened coconut sauce or served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Do not overfill the iron; just cover the cells, because the batter will rise as it cooks.
Storage
The waffles are best eaten hot. Cooled waffles keep in an airtight container at room temperature for one day or in the freezer for up to two weeks; to serve, reheat them in the waffle iron or the oven for a few minutes until crisp.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The waffles stick firmly to the iron.
- The iron was not hot enough or was too lightly oiled. Heat the iron longer and brush it with oil again after every two or three waffles.
- The waffles are soft and limp, not crisp.
- They were taken out too soon or stacked while still hot. Cook them a minute longer and stand them upright on an airy rack.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
