Mee Jiang Kueh (Sweet Peanut Pancake)

Growing up in Malaysia, the Swallow loved staying with her maternal grandmother during school holidays. Besides enjoying her gentle nature, the Swallow enjoyed the Mee Jiang Kueh which would surely appear at least once for breakfast during her stay.

The Swallow remembers how her grandmother would go out of the house for some time and came back with this delicious pancake. She recalls how it was packed full of crushed roasted peanuts, tasting sweetness yet with a hint of salt in each bite. How the peanuts didn't fall out each time she took a bite. How warm it felt in mouth, freshly cooked. How warm it felt in her heart, because of her grandmother's love for her.

Her grandmother passed away many years ago, bringing with her the knowledge of where she had bought this pancake. Her grandmother had also been suffering from dementia several years before her passing, and with the Swallow having moved to Singapore prior to that, there was not an occasion when she could ask her grandmother.

Unable to find something similar to her recollections, she decided to try her hand at making her own Mee Jiang Kueh a couple of times. She managed to get pretty close this latest round as the peanuts didn't fall out as much as the previous time.

MEE JIANG KUEH (serves 4)

Mee Jiang Kueh

Ingredients

130 g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp instant yeast

2 tbsp sugar

Pinch of salt

150 ml warm water

1 large egg

1 tsp oil

60 g ground roasted peanuts

40 g sugar plus a pinch of salt

Method

1. Place flour in a large bowl. In separate areas of the flour, place the baking soda, yeast, sugar and salt. Give each area a gentle mix so that each ingredient is coated with the flour. When this is done, mix them together well.
2. Add warm water to the mixture and mix well so that there are no lumps in the batter.
3. Add the egg and continue to mix the batter well.
4. Set the batter aside, covered and leave to proof for an hour. Bubbles will form during this time.
5. Soak a clean kitchen paper towel with the oil and smear this over a non-stick 9” frying pan.  Heat the pan over a low heat. When it is heated evenly, pour the batter in. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the ground peanuts and the sugar/salt mixture over the pancake. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Fold the pancake in half with a spatula. Remove from the pan, cut and serve warm.

Notes

Keep an eye on the batter. Timing may have to be adjusted if the heat is inconsistent e.g. windy conditions. It should still be sticky when adding the peanuts at step 6 so that the peanuts do not fall out easily when eating. But if too late, no worries, just add some peanut butter at step 6, then proceed to sprinkle the ground peanuts and continue with the rest of the steps. Taste may change a little. Alternatively, just enjoy it with some peanuts falling out 😊