Khanom Krok

Another one of my favourite street food snacks has to be khanom krok. This can be loosely translated into English as Coconut Pudding. It is basically a mixture of flour batter and coconut cream cooked in a pan over a charcoal fire. You can find them in most places around Thailand with the same basic recipe.

Ingredients (bottom layer)

1 cup rice flour

2 cups water

1/3 cup steamed (cooked) jasmine rice

1/2 cup grated, dried coconut (available in the baking section of most supermarkets)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (topping)

1 cup coconut cream
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt

1 green onion (scallion) chopped (optional)

Method (bottom layer)

Mix 1 cup rice flour with 1 cup water in a bowl. Mix well, and let it sit for at least an hour (overnight is ok). In a blender, mix 1/3 cup cooked jasmine rice with 1/2 cup grated coconut, add the salt, then and add 1 cup water. Blend together until finely mixed. Pour this into the bowl of rice flour and water that's been sitting. Mix well by hand. Set aside.Method (topping)Mix coconut cream, sugar and salt in a bowl until dissolved. If you decide to use green onion, add it now.Cooking the Khanom KrokThe video below is an excellent way to learn the method of cooking khanom krok. Heat the khanom krok pan over medium heat, and brush with vegetable oil when hot. Using a spoon (our Thai spoon, with sharp edges and made of stainless steel, works perfectly), add the bottom layer mixture into each hole so it's about 2/3 full. Wait a moment, then pour about 2 teaspoons of the topping mixture into each hole to fill it up. Cover the pan with a lid (any lid will do, just set it on top of the pan), and cook until the cups turn slightly brown and crisp around the edge (about 8-10 minutes, or a bit more). Remove each cake, and serve warm. Usually the cakes are served as two (one placed on top of the other as shown below).