Serabi — West Java, Indonesia

Serabi is a round, spongy pancake made from a batter of rice flour and coconut milk, cooked one at a time in a small, shallow pan until the edges turn lacy and crisp while the center stays soft. In West Java the pancake is often called surabi, and it is eaten as a snack at any time of day rather than only at breakfast. The pancake is reported mainly from West Java, particularly the area around Bandung, where street stalls and small shops specializing in surabi are common. Related rice-and-coconut pancakes cooked in small individual molds are also reported from other parts of Southeast Asia under different names, though each is tied to its own region and toppings. To prepare it, rice flour is mixed with coconut milk, a little sugar, and sometimes a pinch of yeast, then left to rest so the batter thickens slightly. Small earthenware or cast-iron molds are heated over charcoal or a low flame, brushed lightly with oil, and filled with a ladle of batter, then covered briefly so the pancake steams as much as it fries, giving it a lacy, slightly charred underside and a soft top. What distinguishes this version is the choice of topping, which marks the pancake as sweet or savory: most commonly it is served with kinca, a thick syrup of palm sugar and coconut milk, poured over the warm pancake, while a savory alternative uses oncom, a fermented soybean or peanut cake, crumbled and cooked into a spiced topping. Both versions rely on the same lacy-edged base, with the topping added just before serving.