Scallion pancakes, also known as cong you bing, are a beloved Chinese street food and breakfast staple. These crispy yet chewy pancakes are made with a simple batter of flour, water, and salt, which is then spread with a mixture of scallions, ginger, and sesame oil. The pancakes are then pan-fried until golden brown and flaky.
This article features two recipes for scallion pancakes: a classic version and a simplified version that uses fewer ingredients. The classic version yields a slightly thicker pancake with a more pronounced scallion flavor, while the simplified version is quicker and easier to make and results in a thinner pancake with a milder scallion flavor.
Both recipes are accompanied by step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure success. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner, you'll be able to whip up a batch of delicious scallion pancakes in no time. So gather your ingredients and let's get started!
CHUNG YUL BANG (SCALLION PANCAKES)
The cookbook author Grace Young learned to make these scallion pancakes from her mother, who is from Hong Kong, and first published the formula in her book "The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen" (Simon & Schuster, 1999). In homage to the Cantonese immigrant experience, Ms. Young phoneticized dish names in the same way they appeared on Cantonese-American restaurant menus and titled this recipe chung yul bang. They have the perfect blend of crispy flakiness and tenderness. The trick is a mix of boiling and cold water: The boiling water gives you a soft, malleable dough that is easy to work, the cold water just the right chewiness in the fried pancake. She prefers these served without any dipping sauce: "Hot out of the wok, they don't need anything," she said. "They're perfect the way they are."
Provided by Rachel Wharton
Categories snack, finger foods, pancakes, main course, side dish
Time 45m
Yield 4 cakes
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a medium heatproof bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Pour in the boiling water, quickly mixing everything together with a wooden spoon until the flour absorbs all the water. It will look a bit dry and flaky. Stir in the cold water. A dough should form and begin to pull away from the side of the bowl. If needed, add more cold water a teaspoon at a time. The dough should not be sticky, but dry to the touch.
- Dust a work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Lightly cover the dough with a clean damp cloth or plastic bag and let it rest for 1 hour.
- Redust the work surface with flour and knead the rested dough for a few minutes, or until it is smooth. Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll into balls. Cover three of them with the damp cloth or plastic, then use a floured rolling pin to roll the fourth into a 7-inch round. Cover the round with the damp cloth or plastic, then roll out the remaining three pieces, keeping any unused dough well covered while you work.
- Brush each round very lightly with the sesame oil and sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a quarter of the minced scallions. Tightly roll each circle into a fat rope, then tightly coil each rope so that it looks like a snail's shell, pinching the end of the rope into the bun so that it seals. Cover the rounds with the damp cloth or plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Redust your work surface with flour and roll each cake out with a floured rolling pin into a 7-inch round. Set aside to fry when the oil is ready. Or, refrigerate in an airtight container dusted with flour for up to 1 day. Let the chilled dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before frying. You can also stack the rolled dough between parchment paper, wrap tightly in plastic, seal in a resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze for a few weeks. Unwrap and let them come to room temperature, about 15 minutes, before you fry them.
- Line a plate or baking sheet with paper towels. Heat the oil in a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over medium until it is hot but not smoking. Working carefully, as the oil will spatter, add a scallion cake to the bottom of the pan using a metal spatula or tongs, and let it fry until golden brown on the bottom, just a minute or two. Carefully flip the cake over and fry until the other side is golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. As it fries, adjust the heat to maintain a steady sizzle and lightly press the center of the cake with a metal spatula to make sure the center is cooked through, being careful of oil spatters. Alternatively, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high and pan-fry a round of dough until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. When the cake is done, transfer it to the paper towels and fry the three remaining cakes, adding 1 tablespoon oil per cake if pan-frying.
- Sprinkle the scallion cakes with a little more salt, cut them into 6 to 8 wedges, and serve them immediately.
SCALLION PANCAKES
Wilson Tang owns Nom Wah Tea Parlor, the longest-running dim sum restaurant in New York City's Chinatown, and he recently released The Nom Wah Cookbook, which includes recipes for perennial favorites like scallion pancakes. "They're a classic," he says. "That flaky texture makes them a light appetizer," he says.
Provided by Food Network
Categories appetizer
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 scallion pancakes
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Make the dipping sauce: Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves; set aside.
- Make the scallion pancakes: Put the flour in a large bowl, then add the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a ball.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover and let rest 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200˚ F. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, then roll each into a thin 8-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Brush each circle of dough with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and sprinkle with 1 heaping tablespoon scallions; season with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Roll up each circle of dough into a cigar; then, working from one side, roll each into a coil, tucking the ends underneath. Lightly flour the surface again and roll each coil to a 7-inch pancake (1/8 inch thick).
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pancake and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, adding 1 more tablespoon vegetable oil to the skillet each time and reducing the heat to medium if the pancakes are browning too quickly. Slice the pancakes into wedges. Serve with the dipping sauce.
CHUN YAO BANG (FRIED SCALLION PANCAKE)
The green onion pancake, called a Scallion Pancake, is a common favorite snack among the Chinese in different regions. These were served to me by family friends at a Dim Sum party.
Provided by Member 610488
Categories Grains
Time 35m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Mix together the flour and water until a dough is formed. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for a few minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 4 pieces.
- Roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Spread a thin layer of Crisco on the top, sprinkle with salt, and then press a layer of green onions into the dough.
- Roll the pancake like a rug, roll it up like a snail, then roll onto a floured surface to a 1/8 inch thickness, pushing any green onions that escape back into the dough.
- Fry in 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a skillet. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on one side then flip and cook for 2 more minutes before placing the pancake onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Repeat with remaining quarter dough pieces.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 539.9, Fat 10.8, SaturatedFat 3.1, Sodium 149.6, Carbohydrate 95.4, Fiber 3.4, Sugar 0.3, Protein 12.9
CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES
Scallion pancakes are a popular dish in China, and available from restaurants and street vendors. There are many different regional variations. My version is Shanghai-style and is my grandmother's recipe. These can be frozen after step 3, and thawed and finished cooking when ready to eat.
Provided by Mei
Categories Appetizers and Snacks
Time 1h45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Mix flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl; pour in boiling water and quickly mix together until water is absorbed. Work cold water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture just until dough forms. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and let dough rest for 40 minutes.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface; divide into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll 1 piece of dough into a large thin round; brush the top with vegetable oil and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 the green onions. Pick up 1 end of the round and roll dough around green onions into a long scroll-shape. Take 1 scroll end and roll dough into a disk. Repeat with remaining dough, letting each disk rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Place 1 disk on a floured surface and roll into a 1/2-inch thick round; cook in the hot oil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining disks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 365.9 calories, Carbohydrate 51.8 g, Fat 14.3 g, Fiber 3.2 g, Protein 7.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.2 g, Sodium 1756.6 mg, Sugar 1.5 g
CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES
Unlike true pancakes, "Cong You Bing" (or Chinese scallion pancakes) are made from a dough instead of a batter. The tasty appetizers are the perfect "sponge" for mopping up extra sauce and can be made ahead of time for convenience. Just wrap a green onion pancake in foil and reheat in the oven. -Jenni Sharp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 40m
Yield 8 pancakes (1/4 cup sauce).
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Place flour in a large bowl; stir in boiling water until dough forms a ball. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 4-6 minutes. Place in a large bowl; cover and let rest for 30 minutes., Divide dough into 8 portions; roll each portion into an 8-in. circle. Brush with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; sprinkle with 1 heaping tablespoon of green onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Roll into a thin cylinder (jelly-roll style); starting at one end, twist cylinder onto itself forming a coil, pinching to seal. Flatten slightly. Roll each coil to 1/8-in. thickness., In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Over medium-high heat, cook 1 pancake at a time until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Serve with pancakes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 333 calories, Fat 17g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 534mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 5g protein.
PAJEON (KOREAN SCALLION AND SEAFOOD PANCAKE)
This is a favourite Korean appetizer. It's any time of day (breakfast or lunch), and often eaten with maccoli (homestyle rice wine) on rainy days with friends in Korean pubs.
Provided by SpiceBunny
Categories Breakfast
Time 30m
Yield 3 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Trim the small green onions and scallions and cut them into 4-inch lengths. Wash oysters, clams, and hard-shelled mussels in brine (5 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt) and drain on a wicker tray.
- Slice oysters, clams, and hard-shelled mussels.
- Beat "A" with a whisk into a light batter and mix half the chopped seafood in the batter. "A" can be bought pre-mixed in bags in Korean food stores (just ask them).
- Place the green onions and scallions parallel in an oiled pan at a low heat and ladle a scoop of the batter onto them.
- After the patty cooks slightly, sprinkle the sea food and spread a little bit of batter again on the top.
- Turn the patty and fry until each side becomes appetizingly yellowish brown. Serve the pan-fried green onion and sea food with vinegar soy sauce mixed with "B".
- You can make this recipe with chives instead of green onions, and omitting the seafood if you like. Try putting your favourite veggies in there.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 661.5, Fat 26.8, SaturatedFat 4, Cholesterol 105, Sodium 1503.4, Carbohydrate 80.5, Fiber 4.5, Sugar 3.5, Protein 23.9
Tips:
- For crispy scallion pancakes, use a higher ratio of scallions to batter.
- Make sure the batter is thin enough to coat the scallions evenly.
- Heat the oil until it is shimmering before adding the pancakes.
- Cook the pancakes over medium heat so that they have time to cook through without burning.
- Flip the pancakes frequently so that they cook evenly.
- Serve the pancakes hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
Conclusion:
Chun Yao Bang's fried scallion pancake is a delicious and easy-to-make snack or side dish. With its crispy exterior and tender interior, this pancake is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a quick and tasty bite to eat, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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