Pan Rolls

How many ways can I treat the prodigal daughter?? Countless, she says. So I try. It usually is an Indian meal the day she arrives. I oblige her, with a laden table. We have tabak maas or lamb chops Kashmiri style. I make potato and paneer kofta curry with bright red tomatoes from the garden. Rice and varan are a must. I know she loves pan rolls.

Pan rolls hail from the seaside state of Goa. Any Goan chef worth his salt will have these in their repertoire. Spicy ground meat rolled in thin crepes, coated with egg and breadcrumbs are the complete package. Ground beef is cooked with Goan red masala till dry. I make thin crepes from an easy recipe. I'm not a fan of thickish crepes as they do not let the filling shine through. This recipe calls for warm water and milk, an odd combination that works like a charm. This version is hands down my favorite. I have tried many, so I'm quite the crexpert!

PAN ROLLS

Makes 10-12 rolls

Crepe batter

1/2 cup Flour

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup lukewarm Water

2 Eggs

2 tablespoons melted Butter

A pinch of Kosher Salt

Butter

Filling

1 lb ground Beef

2 teaspoons Canola Oil

1 large Onion

1 teaspoon Garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon Ginger paste

1 large Tomato 

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder 

1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder 

1 teaspoon Coriander powder 

1 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Garlic paste

1-2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

3/4 cup Water

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Egg

1/2 cup Breadcrumbs 

1-2 tablespoons Canola Oil

Put all ingredients in crepe batter into a blender and whiz till well mixed. 

Pour batter into a bowl, cover and let batter sit for 30 minutes.

Start the filling by finely chopping onion and tomato.

Heat canola oil in a saucepan.

Add onion to hot oil and stir till golden brown.

Add garlic and ginger pastes and chopped tomatoes stirring well till tomatoes are pulpy.

Mix chile powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, garlic paste and vinegar in a bowl. You should have a thick paste. Add a little water if needed. 

Drop paste into onion tomato sauce and fry the paste stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes.

Crumble ground beef into masala and stir to break up the meat. Let meat fry for 6-10 minutes till brown. 

Add water and salt, stir and let beef come to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Uncover and turn up flame so all the water dries up. Beef should be dry with no gravy. Cool filling. 

Stir batter before starting crepes.

Heat a tiny pat of butter in a small nonstick saucepan on a medium flame.

Pour a 1/4 cup of batter into hot pan, tilting the pan so batter spreads evenly.

Cook pancake for a few minutes on one side, then flip and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove pancake to a plate. Finish the rest of the batter in the same fashion. 

Once all the pancakes are done you can start assembling pan rolls.

Lay a pancake on a flat surface.

Spread 2 tablespoons of beef filling in the center of pancake. 

Fold bottom half of pancake over beef, tucking it in as you do. 

Fold right side of pancake onto the fold.

Fold the left side of pancake onto the fold.

Roll the pancake into a tight roll.

Continue doing this with all filling and pancakes. 

Break egg into a bowl and beat with a fork.

Spread breadcrumbs on a board.

Lightly dip pan rolls in beaten egg and then coat with crumbs. Do all the rolls this way.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick saucepan. 

Brown pan rolls on both sides quickly over high heat.

Serve them hot or make them earlier and reheat in a 275F oven for 15 minutes.

We love them with ketchup!!!

Traffic delays Shauna, cutting into our wine hour! She arrives with hunger pangs, walking straight to the laden table. This is one of those magical dinners when all is right in the world. Family meals are one of the most precious gifts in my life. We laugh, we remember, we are wide-eyed over Shauna's dinner portions, we fight over the last lamb chop and squirt ketchup over pan rolls. I wish I could wrap up this evening, the conversation and the love...just like these packages of goodness. 

Pin It