Complete your meal with your favourite yum-cha dishes!
Mango pancakes
Mango pancakes are thin yellow crepes rolled up like a spring roll with whipped cream and a big juicy piece of mango stuffed inside. They are a highlight for many at yum cha here in Australia (that’s dim-sum in the US), with both kids and grown ups deeming them to be the perfect ending to a lunch of too many steamed dumplings. But actually, they are quite a light dessert being that it’s mostly mango with some lightly sweetened whipped cream and the pancake is very thin. Listen to me, trying to justify my indulgence!! One of the things I love above mango pancakes is that they are such a great celebration of one of Australia’s greatest summer fruits – big, golden, juicy mangoes. Being such a fan, I’ve shared a handful of mango-starring recipes over the years (mango ice cream (no-churn!), mango cheesecake, mango daiquiri, to name a few). And while they are all bursting with big mango flavours, none of them use mangoes like we do in today’s recipe – in big, juicy chunk form. We love, very much!!
What you need for mango pancakes
I’ve set the ingredients out in 3 groups:
Pancake batter
The paper thin pancakes used for Mango Pancakes are actually crepes. They are a bit rubbery and very floppy compared to normal fluffy pancakes so they can be rolled up without cracking.
Flour – just plain / all-purpose flour Icing sugar – known as powdered sugar in the US. It’s finer than ordinary sugar which ensures our pancakes have a perfectly unblemished surface (ie no little speckles of sugar) Cornflour / cornstarch – this is what gives these pancakes the signature rubbery texture so they don’t crack when we roll them up! Eggs – Fridge cold is fine here. But make sure they are large eggs which are 55 – 60g/2oz each, labelled as such on the carton. Milk – Full fat please. Low fat will compromise the softness of the crepes and may make them crack. Yellow food colouring – to give the pancakes the signature pale yellow colour! In case you are wondering, mango puree does work but it’s a bit risky as successful crepe making is reliant on the right batter consistency and mango puree thickness depends on the juiciness of variety of mangoes. Food colouring is safer and easier! Also, it didn’t add mango flavour into the crepes.
Whipped cream
I fill my pancakes with lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream. Technically, it’s called Chantilly Cream. So much nicer than just plain whipped cream!
In case you are wondering, mango puree does work but it’s a bit risky as successful crepe making is reliant on the right batter consistency and mango puree thickness depends on the juiciness of variety of mangoes. Food colouring is safer and easier! Also, it didn’t add mango flavour into the crepes.
Cream – Use thickened / heavy cream or other whipping cream. Make sure it is fridge cold so it easily beats into a stiff cream. We don’t want to go for soft peaks here. Icing sugar / powdered sugar – Ordinary white sugar will work here as it should dissolve in the time it takes to whip the cream. I just generally prefer using icing sugar which is finer grains when whipping small quantities of cream because I know they will dissolve faster. Vanilla – For flavour.
Mangoes
You’ll need 2 big mangoes to get enough pieces out of them for one batch of this recipe. Use your favourite type of mango, as long as they’re ripe and juicy! My favourite mango variety is Honey Gold (sweetest), followed by R2E2 (a bit less sweet, usually), Keitts (touch of tang), Kensington Prides (very soft juicy flesh) and lastly Palmers (the tangiest and not as juicy, I find). The only Australian variety I avoid is Calypso – cheap, look pretty but least flavour.
How to make mango pancakes
The pancakes for mango pancakes are actually paper thin rubbery crepes. If you’re a crepe first timer, your first one or two (or three….) may not be perfect. But don’t let that dishearten you! It doesn’t matter if they’re wonky. Once rolled, you can’t tell what shape the crepe was! If you tear them, so what? Roll around the tears. A little too thick? It really doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the pancakes!
Batter
Cook pancakes (crepes)
Mango pancakes are actually crepes which are thin pancakes that won’t crack when you roll them up. They have a slightly rubbery texture with a bit of stretch rather than being “cakey” like your usual fluffy breakfast pancakes. The one thing that’s a must is to use a very non-stick pan. If you don’t, you’ll be cursing /crying. Been there, done that!
Assembling
If you can roll a burrito, you can roll a mango pancake! It’s actually easier because they’re smaller. 🙂 Size matters! I use a pan that has a 18cm/7″ flat base and rim-to-rim of 24cm/10″. Makes the perfect size mango pancakes! The brand I use is Tefal 24cm fry pan, sold at Coles/Woolworths in Australia. If your pan is bigger or smaller, just adjust the crepe batter quantity as necessary. If using a standard crepe pan, you will need 60ml / 1/4 cup of batter. You’ll also need to adjust the size of your mango pieces. Do not flip in the pan. We only cook one side of the crepes. The top side that is not in contact with the pan will be the presentation side of the mango pancake (smooth and untarnished!). Don’t worry if your crepes fold or wrinkle when they land. Just leave them while hot as they are quite delicate. They become less fragile as they cool, then you can straighten them out. Fully cool before filling (about 30 minutes) else the cream will melt. While I cut them in half neatly to show you the inside, no respectable person would actually eat a mango pancake with a knife and fork. Eat with your hands, biting into them like a spring roll! Go forth and enjoy! No more do you have to queue up at your favourite yum cha to get your mango pancake fix. Also – you’ll save a bomb. The mango pancakes at my favourite yum cha restaurant are $13.80 for 2. This recipe makes 10 to 12 and so by my calculations, it’s about 75% cheaper to make these yourself. WOAH! – Nagi x PS My favourite yum cha in Sydney is Star Capital Seafood restaurant which is in Chatswood on the north side of the Harbour Bridge (where I live). It’s a bit more expensive than places out west and in the city (because of location) but the portions are generous, the dumplings are plump, fried goods always hot and the service is on point: just enough plate banging to make you feel like you’re at real yum cha, but not as grumpy as some places!
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
Just in case you’re wondering if the mango pancakes were signed off by Dozer, the official taste tester:
