Alle Belle or mannkio is a traditional Goan pancake stuffed with a moist coconut and palm jaggery filling. It is normally made by Catholic families on Pancake Tuesday.
Alle belle (pronounced as aa-ley beh-ley) is a delicious Goan tea-time snack. It is popularly made on Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday which is the last day before the beginning of Lent.
I still remember my Mom whipping up these pancakes for us. We would just wipe off the plate clean within minutes. So whenever I prepare alle belle, it is nothing but sheer nostalgia.
Soft, melt-in-the-mouth, thin crêpes stuffed with coconut and jaggery mixture make these pancakes truly moreish. I, for one, can never just stop at one. And I’m sure you would relate with me if you know what I mean 😀
Coconut and jaggery, flavored with cardamom or nutmeg is a classic pairing in Goan desserts. The jaggery used in this recipe is not the regular, light-colored cane jaggery. Special pyramid-shaped palm jaggery, also known as madachem godd by the locals in Goa is used to make the stuffing for these pancakes.
Goan palm jaggery has a deep, rich, almost chocolate-like flavor. It is also packed with vitamins and minerals, making this a much healthier alternative to refined sugar. But like everything else, one should consume this in moderation as well.
These pancakes are not as commercialized as the other popular Indian dishes, so chances are you may have never even heard of it if you are not a Goan. Though Bengali’s make a very similar thing called patishapta, prepared sans the eggs. I’ve even heard of something similar called eylanchi made in Kerala. I need to try my hands on these versions soon!
Sometimes you don’t need whole lotta ingredients to whip up a delicious treat. These pancakes are just that- simple and delicious! The outer covering is soft, smooth, and has an elastic texture filled with the most delicious moist stuffing. So why wait for Pancake Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday? Make these often and enjoy them as a snack or dessert!
Table of Contents
Why you will enjoy this recipe?
These Goan coconut pancakes;
☑ Are delicious and so moreish!
☑ Kid-friendly
☑ Can be prepared quickly by making the batter ahead of time.
☑ Can be customized by stuffing them with different filling mixtures.
Ingredients needed to make these pancakes
Technically, the batter for these Goan pancakes is a crêpe batter. Crêpes are a type of thin pancake made with the same ingredients as that of pancakes except for the use of raising agents i.e. baking powder and baking soda.
The recipe has two components;
- The crêpe batter: You will need all-purpose flour, salt, eggs, milk or water, and some vanilla extract.
- The stuffing: This consists of freshly grated coconut and Goan palm jaggery, flavored with ground cardamom.
How to make alle belle – Step by step process
Step 1: Prepare the pancake batter
In a medium mixing bowl, beat an egg. (Photos 1 and 2)
Add 1 & 1/2 cup milk or water, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, mix until well combined. (Photos 3 to 6)
In a bowl, sift 1 cup of all-purpose flour. (Photos 7 to 9)
Add 1/4 teaspoon table salt, whisk well. (Photos 10 and 11)
Add liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, in increments, whisking simultaneously, until you have a thin, free-flowing batter without any lumps. (Photos 12 to 15)
Pass the batter through a fine-mesh sieve to break down any tiny lumps. (Photos 16 and 17)
Batter consistency. (Photo 18)
Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 20 minutes. The longer the better! You can refrigerate the batter overnight as well. (Photo 19)
Step 2: Prepare the coconut filling
While the batter is resting, work on the coconut filling.
In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 & 1/2 cups of freshly grated coconut, 3/4 cup of grated palm jaggery, 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder, and 1/8 teaspoon table salt. Mix well until all the ingredients are well-incorporated. (Photos 20 to 25)
Taste the filling, and add more jaggery or some sugar if you like it sweeter.
Step 3: Add food color to the batter (optional)
After 20 minutes, give the batter a good stir and check the consistency. It will thicken up slightly. If the batter is too thick, adjust with a tablespoon of milk or water at a time if needed.
Divide the batter into 4 bowls. I ended up with 2 cups of batter. (Photo 26)
Tint the batter using your desired food color. I used pink, purple, green and I left one portion as it is. (Photos 27)
Step 4: Cook the pancakes
Heat a 7-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the pan with some oil or melted butter, wipe off excess. (Photo 28)
Pour about 1/4 cup batter, swirl the pan to spread the batter so that it covers the entire surface of the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, cook the crêpe for about 1 minute or until it looks dry on the top and edges begin to release from the pan. Cooking time will also depend on how thick the batter is. The thinner it is the faster it will cook. (Photos 29 to 31)
Slide the crêpe onto a plate. Bring up the heat back to medium-low.
If you cannot slide the crêpe easily, simply use an offset spatula to transfer it to a plate as shown below. (Photos 36 to39)
You could also flip the crepe by turning the pan upside-down onto a plate or on a tea towel in a single layer. Whatever is convenient for you!
While the pan is heating up, quickly work on stuffing the crepes. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling as shown in the pic below, fold both sides, roll from one end until you reach the other end, similar to a spring roll. Transfer to a serving platter. (Photos 40 to 45)
Grease the pan, and follow the same procedure to make the remaining crêpes. Cook a crêpe and stuff it simultaneously. Serve immediately!
Storage
Alle belle is best enjoyed as soon as it is prepared. I doubt you will have any leftovers as this is quite a small batch.
If you have leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container within 2 hours for up to one day as it contains fresh coconut. I do not suggest freezing these.
To reheat, place the pancakes on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, heat on high power in 30-40 second bursts, until heated through. The jaggery coconut mixture will ooze out some moisture from the pancakes on being heated. It doesn’t affect the taste, but it is a bit messy while eating.
I strongly suggest you consume these pancakes as soon as they are made!
Serving suggestions
Serve warm alle belle’s with a cup of rose tea! I also enjoy it with masala chai and/or hot cuppa coffee!
Recipe tips
Try and use Goan palm jaggery: For an authentic taste, use pyramid palm jaggery. This kind of jaggery has a deep, complex flavor and is not as sweet as cane jaggery.
Do not overbeat the batter: Overbeating the batter develops gluten and will yield a tough and dense pancake. You can always follow the next tip to get rid of any stubborn tiny lumps.
Strain the batter: For a really smooth, lump-free batter, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve.
Rest the batter for at least 20 minutes: This step helps the starch in the flour to absorb the liquid and bloom. Additionally, it also helps in relaxing the gluten strands. While it is not essential that you follow this step, doing so, will ensure that you end up with soft, melt-in-the-mouth crêpes.
Quantity of milk or water: If the batter is too thick to spread, add a tablespoon of liquid at a time. You can add up to 1.75 cups (about 435 ml) of milk or water for really thin, lacey crepes. If this is your first time making alle belle, I suggest you stick to the quantities mentioned. Once you get a hang of it, you can increase the liquid to make a thinner batter.
Cook on medium-low heat: If the pan is too hot, the batter will start setting without spreading to the edges of the pan. Cook on medium to medium-low heat always.
Cooking the crêpes: I did not need to flip the crêpe because they were pretty thin. If you do end up with a thick batter, you can flip and cook the other side for 30-45 seconds.
Variations
Healthier version: Swap the refined flour with whole wheat flour (atta) or oat flour.
Nutmeg: You could swap the cardamom with nutmeg in the coconut-jaggery mixture.
Coconut milk: You could also use coconut milk instead of milk.
Add nuts: You can also add some sliced almonds, pistachios, or other nuts in the filling for some crunch.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Can I substitute palm jaggery with regular jaggery?
If you have a hard time sourcing palm jaggery, feel free to use cane jaggery, adjust the quantities as per desired sweetness, there is no hard and fast rule of sticking with a specific quantity. You could also use jaggery powder, powdered sugar, or condensed milk instead of jaggery for a tasty variation.
Can I use frozen grated coconut?
Yes, of course, you can! Thaw the coconut and then prepare the stuffing.
What about desiccated coconut?
Alle belle tastes best prepared with fresh coconut. But, desiccated will work in a pinch as well.
You may also enjoy these Goan sweets
★ If you try this alle belle recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Thanks so much 🙂
You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter
Alle Belle Recipe {Goan Pancakes}
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, 143 g
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg approx 65 grams
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups of milk or water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food color, as required, optional
For the filling
- 1 to 1 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 160 grams
- 1 Goan palm jaggery pyramid grated, 3/4 cup, 100 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder or grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat an egg.
- Add milk or water, vanilla extract, mix until well combined.
- In a bowl, sift all-purpose flour.
- Add salt, whisk well.
- Add liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, in increments, whisking simultaneously, until you have a thin, free-flowing batter without any lumps.
- Pass the batter through a fine-mesh sieve to break down any tiny lumps.
- Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 20 minutes. The longer the better! You can refrigerate the batter overnight as well.
- While the batter is resting, work on the coconut filling.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add freshly grated coconut, grated palm jaggery, green cardamom powder, and salt. Mix well until all the ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Taste the filling, and add more jaggery or some sugar if you like it sweeter.
- After 20 minutes, give the batter a good stir and check the consistency. It will thicken up slightly. If the batter is too thick, adjust with a tablespoon of milk or water at a time if needed.
- Divide the batter into 4 bowls. I ended up with 2 cups of batter.
- Tint the batter using your desired food color.
- Heat a 7-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the pan with some oil or melted butter, wipe off excess.
- Pour about 1/4 cup batter, swirl the pan to spread the batter so that it covers the entire surface of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, cook the crêpe for about 1 minute or until it looks dry on the top and edges begin to release from the pan. Cooking time will also depend on how thick the batter is. The thinner it is the faster it will cook.
- Slide the crêpe onto a plate. Bring up the heat back to medium-low.
- If you cannot slide the crêpe easily, simply use an offset spatula to transfer it to a plate.
- You could also flip the crepe by turning the pan upside-down onto a plate or on a tea towel in a single layer. Whatever is convenient for you!
- While the pan is heating up, quickly work on stuffing the crepes. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling as shown in the pic below, fold both sides, roll from one end until you reach the other end, similar to a spring roll. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Grease the pan, and follow the same procedure to make the remaining crêpes. Cook a crêpe and stuff it simultaneously.
vidya says
Hi Freda
can i make the batter without egg or replace it with flaxmeal?
Freda Dias says
Hi Vidya! You can skip the eggs altogether. Just add more liquid to compensate for the batter. It worked out fine when I tried it without the eggs. Try a small batch first.