 Simple Javanese sweet serabi flavoured with sweetgula jawa | |
| Alternative names | soerabi(in Petjo);Javaans pannenkoek(in Dutch) |
|---|---|
| Type | Pancake |
| Place of origin | Indonesia |
| Region or state | Bali–Java |
| Associatedcuisine | Indonesia |
| Main ingredients | Rice flour,coconut milk or shreddedcoconut |
| Similar dishes | mont lin maya,pancake,pannenkoek,takoyaki,khanom krok |
Serabi,[a]surabi,[b] orsrabi[c] is a traditionalBali–Java snack, similar to apancake, made of arice flour-based batter withcoconut milk or coconut cream and shreddedcoconut as anemulsifier. Most traditionalserabi tastes sweet, as these pancake-like desserts are usually eaten withkinca, a golden-browncoconut sugar syrup in the Sundanese culinary tradition.
However, another savoury version also existed that uses fermentedoncom toppings. Different provinces in Indonesia have their ownserabi recipes corresponding to local tastes.[1][2]
The history ofserabi is unknown, but these traditional snacks are commonly served as an offering in Javanese folk religion rituals as a symbol of gratitude towards God or local deities of Java. This cultural tradition, still in practice, is calledSerabhien among the Pandalungan village community (theMadurese of Javanese descent) inBondowoso (eastern Java), calledSerabi Kocor among the Javanese community inYogyakarta (southern Java),[3][4] and called theSerabi Likuran among the Javanese community inPemalang (central Java).[5]
Originating inJava,[6] the popularity ofserabi has spread to neighbouring islands, especiallyBali, (srabi) in Balinese. This spread was due to Javanese migration, notably during theMajapahit era (14th–16th century) when western coastal Balinese adopted the food as an 'offering snack for the gods' in their localBalinese Hindu rituals. During the 17th century, when the Dutch colonized Java (and other Indonesian regions in general),serabi and alsodadar gulung (rolled coconut pancake) became colloquially known as theJavaans pannenkoek (lit. 'Javanese pancake' inDutch) due to its shape, which resembles thepannenkoek (Dutch pancake). However, theSuriname Javanese community in South America still uses the termJavaans pannenkoek to refer toserabi,dadar gulung, and similar traditional Javanese pancake-like snacks.[citation needed]
The most basic traditionalserabi only employsbatter made from rice flour, coconut milk, and coconut sugar, cooked on a small earthenware frying pan on charcoal fire. Sometimespandan leaf juice is added into this batter mixture to add aroma and a greenish color. During the cooking process, sometimes toppings are added to the batter.
Today, a large variants ofserabi toppings are used, from a simple sprinkle ofsugar, grated coconut flesh, coarsely groundpeanuts, to slices ofbanana orjackfruit, chocolatesprinkles, blackglutinous rice, andoncom. Newer recipes use gratedcheddar cheese,corned beef, shredded chicken, slices of freshstrawberry orsausage, or evenstrawberry ice cream. Thesauce (or more preciselysyrup) to accompany serabi also varies, from the traditional sweetkinca (golden coconut sugar syrup) sometimes with coconut milk, to modern recipes using chocolate, strawberry, ordurian syrup, or evenmayonnaise orcream cheese for a savoury Western twist.
Both the cities ofBandung andSolo are famous for their versions ofserabi. Bandungsurabi is drier and firmer with a pancake-like consistency, well known for a rich variety of toppings and recently developed fusion recipes. Theserabi from Solo, however, is more traditional and only half-cooked resulting in a thin, crispy crust but a watery center with rich coconut milk taste. A famousserabi variant from Solo is calledserabi notosuman.[citation needed]
InAmbarawa,serabi is served with a sweet coconut milk soup and is known asserabi ngampin.[7]
InSemarang, a dish calledbubur serabi involves abubur sumsum (Javanese pudding) with some small serabi doused with coconut milk and liquid brown sugar. It is served in a bowl made from banana leaves.[8]
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