Roti Pisang

Roti Pisang (Malaysian Banana Pancake)

Roti Pisang is a beloved Malaysian street food sweet: a thin, crispy-edged pancake cooked on a flat griddle with sliced ripe banana, enriched with eggs and a generous spoonful of sugar. It is best eaten hot off the griddle, often folded over like a crepe.

Prep

10 min

Cook

10 min

Total

20 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz (about 1½ cups)) plain (all-purpose) flour
• •2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
• •1 g (¼ tsp) salt
• •2 whole large eggs, plus 1 extra yolk if richer texture is desired
• •250 ml (1 cup) fresh milk, or water for a leaner batter; vendors often use water + condensed milk
• •40 g (3 tbsp) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on top of each pancake
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) condensed milk, optional, for drizzling; very common at street stalls
• •2 whole ripe bananas (pisang mas or pisang berangan if available), very ripe Cavendish also works; sliced lengthwise into thin strips
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter or margarine, margarine (e.g., Planta) is the most traditional choice at Malaysian stalls
• •5 ml (1 tsp) vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Steps

1. 1 Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until just combined, then stir in the milk and condensed milk (if using).
2. 2 Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk to a smooth, thin batter — about the consistency of single (light) cream. If it sits for a minute and thickens, loosen with a splash of milk or water.
3. 3 Heat a flat non-stick pan or cast-iron griddle over medium heat (around 180 °C / 350 °F). Lightly grease with a touch of oil, then wipe with a small knob of butter or margarine using a folded paper towel so the surface is just glossy, not pooled.
4. 4 Pour about 60 ml (¼ cup) of batter into the centre of the pan and quickly swirl to spread into a thin round, roughly 18–20 cm (7–8 in) across.
5. 5 Immediately arrange a few banana strips over half of the pancake in a single layer and sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over the fruit. Cook for 60–90 seconds, until the underside is set and pale gold with lacy, crispy edges.
6. 6 Using a spatula, fold the empty half of the pancake over the banana side to form a half-moon, press down gently, and cook another 30–45 seconds on each side until both sides are deep golden and the banana is soft and caramelised. Internal temperature of the cooked egg batter should reach at least 72 °C / 160 °F; the surface colour and the fact that the batter holds together when folded confirm this.
7. 7 Slide onto a plate, dab with a little more butter or margarine, and serve immediately. Pass extra sugar and condensed milk at the table — vendors typically let customers sprinkle sugar themselves and drizzle condensed milk over the top.