Sri Lankan pani pol by Peter Kuruvita

Peter Kuruvita has contributed Sri Lankan ‘Pani Pol’ recipe to The Guardian.

I’ve always loved these traditional sweets, juicy and succulent you can’t help but lick your fingers then have 

“Pani Pol has always been a favourite of mine,” says Peter Kuruvita, author of Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen. “My aunties used to make it as a treat for all of us, but I was particularly fond of it.”

Pani pol pancakes from Sri Lanka. Photograph: Rachel Alexandra Smith

"Pani Pol has always been a favourite of mine," says Peter Kuruvita, author of Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen. "My aunties used to make it as a treat for all of us, but I was particularly fond of it."

The term "pani pol" refers specifically to the filling (which is also served with "imbul kiri" milk rice, and "lawariya" string hoppers). Traditional Sri Lankan pani pol recipes use a palm treacle base, but Kuruvita insists that golden syrup is a great substitute, and that the alarmingly large quantity still applies: "It may seem like a lot, but it's a very dense liquid."

The result is a decadent pancake that has the syrupy sweetness associated with gulab jamun, jangiri and other Indian sweets. Perfect for an overcast Shrove Tuesday. Close your eyes, enjoy the exotic flavours and be whisked away to warmer climes.

Sri Lankan pani pol by Peter Kuruvita, author of Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen

(Makes 10-12)
2 eggs
65g plain flour
300ml milk
3tbsp vegetable oil
A pinch of turmeric to colour the mix

For the filling:
300g golden syrup
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
½ stick cinnamon
100g freshly grated coconut
1 stick of vanilla, split with the seeds scraped out
50g grated palm sugar (now available at Ocado as well as specialist shops)

Mix together all the ingredients for the pancake, making sure that there are no lumps. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If there are lumps, then strain the mixture.

To make the pancakes, use a non-stick pan or cured cast-iron pan, and lightly apply some vegetable oil to the pan with a tissue.

Use a ladle to apply a thin layer of pancake mixture to the pan, try to cook it with no colour - approximately two minutes, and then turn it.

Make all the pancakes and then set aside.

For the pani pol filling, cook the golden syrup, palm sugar and spices until the treacle is boiling, and the sugar dissolves – approximately five minutes. Don't cook for too long, or the syrup will caramelise and set too hard.

Add the vanilla and coconut, and stir until all the coconut is warm, and coated with the syrup mix.

Now place a tablespoon of pani pol into the pancake, and roll it up, folding in the sides. Eat either warm or cold. It's delicious with coconut or vanilla ice-cream.

To read the article and view the recipe click here: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/04/pancake-recipe-pani-pol-sri-lanka