Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Ban Chang Kuih aka Mee Chien Kueh




Also called apom balek in Malay, this is a popular hawker snack in Singapore when I was a child. Traditionally cooked in a cast iron pan over charcoals, this sweet pancake with crumpet- like texture is usually eaten for breakfast but it is also enjoyed throughout the day. I do not know whether ban chang kuih are still traditionally made and sold in Singapore, as late as the 1970s ban chang kuih were "called" in Singapore streets everyday. The ban chang kuih man paddled his tricycle around the neighbourhood with a cast iron pan on top of a stove fashioned from a disused 44 gallon oil drum and called his wares by ringing a handbell to a repercussive voice of "ban chang kuih... ban chang kuih."
This afternoon, I cooked this fluffy pancake filled with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds for tea but could only give myself six out of ten for the end result. I didn't manage to get the crispy edges like the ban chang kuih from the hawker. Nevertheless, I have gave it a go at this popular street snack.











Ban Chang Kuih Recipe:



Batter

2 cups Plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
8g yeast
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp oil
21/2 cups water

Filling

100g raw peanuts, roasted
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sugar.
50g butter

For batter, mix together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the centre of flour and add egg, oil and 21/2 cup of water, then mix into a smooth batter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 2 hrs.
In the meantime, roast the raw peanut over a very low fire until slightly brown and set aside to cool. Do the same to the sesame seeds. Place the peanuts in a mortar and using a pestle crush coarsely. Combine peanuts sesame seeds and sugar in a small bowl.
Heat a non stick 15cm frying pan over low heat. Pour in 1/2 cup of batter into the heated pan and spread evenly, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear. Sprinkle peanut mixture over the surface, dad with butter and fold the pancake into half. Cover pan and cook for another 1 minute or until pancake is crisp on the outside and cook and soft on the inside. Serve hot with your tea or coffee.

15 comments:

  1. phil,

    you can still get the traditional ban chang kuih in s'pore. in the past, we had only two types of filling - peanut and bean paste. i also enjoyed eating those round ones, filled with bean paste. nowadays, the choice is wider. they even have the rolled type. one company has sold its franchise all over s'pore. you can read about it here

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  2. Hi yg,
    Thanks for keeping me up to date on the home front. You may have to give me the website again as I can't click "here" to read.
    Cheers,
    Phil

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  3. phil, the website is here hope, i have got it right this time around.

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  4. Everything seems to be corporated or franchised back home. :( :(

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  5. Uncle Phil
    Somewhere among those Flour, U need another kind of Flour, it either rice Flour or Corn Flour. Pie Say, me forgot which one BUT definitely not alot, tat the secret to crispy skin beside the "heat".

    Cheers
    Notti

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  6. Hi Notti,
    Nice to hear from you. When are you visiting Oz again? Please find out the "secret"
    and share it here. I was disappointed with my mee chan kueh's attempt.
    Cheers,
    Phil

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  7. Hi Uncle Phil,

    From memory, I did not recall egg being one of the ingredient!

    Cheers,
    Lim

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  8. Hi Lim,
    Ya loh, maybe that's the reason for non crispy edges. Thanks for feedback.
    Cheers,
    Phil

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  9. there is one guy selling this at outside east wood "yaohan"

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  10. Hi Uncle Phil
    Uncle Phil

    3 Version for U to try out below:

    (1) It is Rice Flour. (No Egg)
    Check this: http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2007/05/ban-jian-kuih.html
    (2) But if U are using egg & Alkaline water, U use Tapioca flour here:
    http://roseskitchen.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/ban-chien-kueh/
    (3) If you are using Egg & Milk, check this:
    http://fcngoleong.blogspot.com/2007/06/ban-jiang-kuih-crispy-peanut-pancake.html

    Let me know which work ^__^

    Cheers
    Notti_Paw

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  11. Hi Notti,
    Thanks for the info. Could anyone try them and post the results, Thanks.

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  12. Hi, Uncle Phil, it seems that this Tai Kho Meen is not easily available in Australia, unlike in Malaysia, we can find it easily in market, pandan flavour, bananas or canned sweeteen corn, not monopolised by chinese, the malay also sell it. But of course, Australians will frown that it is very dirty, but, the world is like that, big fish eat small fish, big bacteria will eat small bacteria, thus, we Malaysian stomach are well seasoned, we have big big bacteria in our stomach to eat the street food.

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    Replies
    1. I have no problem eating street hawker food and go out of the way to find them. Unfortunately,there are not many of them left in the street in KL or other major cities in West Malaysia.

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  13. ya, I do agree with you, but we still can get them bake on the spot at wet markets. In Penang, Burmah Road, (near Him Heang biscuits) there is two brothers, one sells under the big tree, in sa lien cha, and another also, under a big tree, except at different tree, hehehe, they only open after 2pm. Next time, if you ever fly here, try their apong balik (a thin version of bang chen kuih). Then you judge.

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    Replies
    1. I hope they are still there on my next balek kampung. Are you living in Penang? My wife and I love Penang food!

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