KUALA LUMPUR: For many Sri Lankan families, pal appam, also known as traditional Indian pancake, is one of the most-loved street foods in the country.
Made from coconut milk and fermented rice batter, it is served sweet or savoury: eaten with a drizzle of brown sugar, or as a meal with tomato chutney or different curries. Some will even add a dollop of condensed milk to the middle for an extra dose of sweetness.
In Malaysia, it can be difficult to find good, authentic pal appam – the kind that oozes goodness when you take your first bite into the crispy outer layer and then into its sticky, spongy-soft centre.
There are those who make it, although these home sellers usually take a large number of orders, making it hard to indulge in just one or two while enjoying a cuppa. And you might find a restaurant that sells it, though you could be left disappointed by its not-so-perfect centre.
So, where can you find this delight in Kuala Lumpur? Try the second floor of TMC warehouse in Bangsar’s Lucky Garden, where Mohan’s Appam shares the space with a claypot rice stall.
Chantiramohan, 32, hails from Sri Lanka and has been in Malaysia for the past 10 years. He’s quiet at first, but ask him anything about his home country, cooking, or the 16 types of pal appam he is known for, and he will regale you with his stories.
Mohan runs a one-man show, from grinding the coconut using a traditional grater, to swiftly pouring and turning the pans to make the fragrant round appam.
“I grew up in a family where pal appam is served as a meal two or three times a week,” he told FMT, explaining that he learnt the art of cooking “naturally”, and was a cook for the US army at one point.
He has sold pal appam for many years, but his eyes and taste buds were opened following a trip to a local pasar malam when he discovered apam balik.
The flavour of crushed peanuts in this traditional Malaysian pancake inspired Mohan to tweak the recipes for his pal appam.
He thus began experimenting with different flavours, giving out free samples to his customers. Based on their feedback, he eventually came up with the 16 varieties sold today.
FMT tried six of Mohan’s bestsellers: the peanut appam, banana appam, banana and chocolate appam, egg cake appam, chocolate appam, and the standard pal appam.
The peanut appam is out of this world. Similar in flavour to apam balik, its thin crispy layer is a delightful contrast to the soft peanut filling. It’s super tasty and will have you wanting more.
If you’re tasted an egg custard and enjoy its creamy texture, then the egg appam, served with a drizzle of brown sugar, is a must-try.
Looking for something simple yet sweet? Then order the chocolate appam, which comes with a generous amount of chocolate sprinkles.
It’s a hit, Mohan said, especially among his female customers – and if it’s not as sweet as you’d like, he will happily add more sprinkles for you.
And speaking of sweet: what could be better than chocolate with banana slices? Popularly considered a delectable combination in desserts, the pairing works equally as well in a pal appam.
You can also enjoy the banana variation on its own – creamy, caramelised fruit in the middle of the pancake makes for a memorable treat.
If you’re not so keen on all the sweetness or are looking to watch the calories, you can always go with the standard pal appam. Mohan does an impeccable job of making it look and taste terrific.
For a more creamy texture, add some milk to the middle so it remains nice and moist!
Other flavours served here include Milo appam and red date appam; and you can also choose from savoury offerings such as appam with egg and pepper, or served with coconut sambal.
Prices for Mohan’s delicious pal appam start from RM2.
Mohan’s Appam
45-1, First Floor (above TMC Warehouse),
Lorong Ara Kiri 1, Lucky Garden,
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: Daily from 8am-9.30pm
Contact: 011-1613 1826