Date pancakes

Ingredients

• Filling, soak for at least ½ an hour:
• Dates (Khajoor), stoned and chopped fine 150 g (about 1 cup firmly packed )
• Walnuts (Akhrot),  hopped fine 60 g
• Orange rind, grated 1 tsp
• Orange juice ¼ cup
• Cover:
• Flour (Maida) 1 cup (120 g)
• Egg 1
• Oil 1 tbsp.
• Water as required
• A little flour and water paste
• Oil for deep-frying
• Confectioner’s (Icing Sugar) for dusting the pancakes

Preparation

• Blend the filling ingredients well together to form a thick mass. Keep aside till required.

• Add salt to the flour and rub in the oil.

• Make a well in the centre of the flour, break the egg into it and start mixing the dough, and then knead it thoroughly, adding water as required, to make a stiff dough.

• Rest the dough, covered well, for at least half an hour.

• Roll the dough, pulling and stretching all the time, adding as little flour as possible, into rounds (about 6” round).

• Lightly cook one side each of the rounds over a griddle, on high heat. Just keep it over the griddle and remove (do not brown or over cook).

• Take a round, cooked side up, place 1 heaped tablespoon filling in the centre and flatten it out a bit.

• Apply flour paste along the edges of the round and fold from 4 sides of the round towards the centre, overlapping the sides where they meet.

• Heat the oil and add the ‘pancake’ over high heat. Lower the heat immediately and fry till a light brown.

• Remove from heat and drain on absorbent paper.

• To serve, re-fry the pancakes till brown and crisp.

• Drain on absorbent paper. Transfer on to a serving dish, dust with the sugar, cut into four triangles and serve (vanilla ice cream goes well with it!).