Scallion Pancake - 葱油餅

Yesterday I had a craving for scallion pancake; I think the root cause of the sudden Chinese food craving was that I had a fun conversation with a friend about all the yummy food you can enjoy in China and Taiwan from street vendors. I decided to make this snack even though I know I would not have time time to finish it until the evening. I did the prep-work in the morning, chopped up the scallion (green onion) and made the salty scallion mixture and set it aside (since it's best to let the salt has time to soften the scallion). After we return from Roland's nephew's wedding last night, I started to mix the dough at 8:30pm. Roland was wondering if I was still hungry. Of course it had nothing to do with hunger. Anyway, I finished panfrying the last pancake at about 10:30pm and went to bed with way too much food in the tummy but very happy!

Traditional Chinese cooking always uses white flour and white rice (my understanding is that only poorer folks ate brown rice is the olden days so it's a social status thing).  I made this pancake with whole white wheat flour and coconut oil for healthier ingredients.

Dough:
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (from white wheat)
1 cup hot water
1/4 - 1/4 cold water
* For softer scallion pancake, use more hot water and less cold water.

Scallion mixture:
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup safflower oil or coconut oil

Stir together the hot water and the flour until the dough is partly mixed. Add the cold water and mix until all flour are incorporated into the dough. When the dough is cool enough to handle, kneed the dough until smooth. The consistency of the dough should be firm but soft. That sound contradictory but let me explain; I mean you should be able to make a indention in the dough very easily by gently pressing the dough with you finger. Cover the dough and let rest for 1/2 hour.

Mix the scallion, salt, and oil and a small bowl and set aside.

Divide the dough into 4 portions.

Lightly dust the working surface and roll out one dough ball with rolling pin into a large flat circle.

Spread 1/4 of the green onion and oil mixture evenly over the dough.

Starting at one side of the circle, roll up the dough into a long cylinder shape, pinched the end closed.

Wind the long cylinder dough into a circle. Tuck the end under and press to make sure it is firmly attached.

Roll the dough with the rolling pin gently into a pancake; about 1/2 inch think. This step always make a mess; scallions and oil will seep out of the dough. Be sure to clean up the oily mess before you start the next pancake. The pancake is now ready to be pan fried.

Bring a frying pan to medium heat and add a little oil to a frying pan. Place the pancake in the frying pan and fry both side until light golden.




Cut into 4 to 8 slices and serve when warm. You can save the left over in a air tight container or ziplock bag in the fridge. Be sure to warm up the pancake before serving.