Green onion pancakes or Scallion pancakes that are so crispy and perfect for appetizer / evening snack. Served with a hot and spicy dipping sauce. With step by step pictures.
The one dish I always look forward to in Hong Kong restaurants is “cong you bing” – the super savoury green onion pancakes.
“cōng yóu bǐng” – Green Onion Pancakes
Every bite of the green onion pancake is so crispy and it almost always comes with a dipping sauce thats hot and tangy. I started making it at home for our weekend evening snack. One can never get tired of it. Its so easy to make. Do try at home and I am sure that you will be hooked just like me.
Making the dough
Bring a kettle of water to a rolling boil. Measure the flour and set aside. Add in the salt and add in the boiling water. For every cup of flour used, add half a cup of boiling water. Making dough with hot water restricts the gluten development, so its easier to roll.
The dough mixture will be very hot. Mix with a chopstick or using a back of a spoon. Once you are able to handle the heat, start kneading the dough for a minute. Once the mixture forms a cohesive dough, set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
First Roll
Make golf ball size dough balls out of the big dough. Dust the dough ball in flour, flatten and roll the dough into a three inch circle.
Brush it with a thin layer of oil. Traditionally toasted sesame oil is used. I have used peanut oil as toasted sesame oil has a very strong flavour that not everyone at my home appreciate. Roll the dough into a log. Roll the log again to form a spiral. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Let the spiraled dough rest during the mean time (atleast 5 minutes).
Chop the green onions (spring onions / scallions) finely. Set aside.
Second Roll – Stuffing
Dust the rested and spiraled dough in flour and flatten and roll into a 3 to 3.5 inch circle. Brush it with a thin layer of oil. Sprinkle the green onions on the rolled dough. About 2 tablespoon of chopped green onion for every pancake.
Note: If you want a spicy pancake, sprinkle finely chopped green chillies or red chilli flakes along with the green onions.
Gently, roll the dough into a log. Roll the log again to form a spiral. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Note: After making the spiral, the dough can be refrigerated in an air tight box for upto a day. I have found that the texture improves greatly even if rested for an hour in the refrigerator. It crisps up better.
Third and Final Roll
Flatten the dough again, dust with flour and roll it into a thin disk. About 2.5 to 3 inches. Roll gently and avoid putting pressure. A little stuffing may pop out and thats fine. Roll as gently as possible to minimise the stuffing from coming out.
Making Pancakes
Heat a skillet and add in half a teaspoon of oil. Place the green onion rolled dough on the skillet and add half a teaspoon of oil on top. If you want extra crispy pancakes, add little more oil. Cook for 2 minutes on each side on a medium flame till the pancakes are brown and crispy. Do not rush the cooking. It tastes great when the pancakes are evenly cooked and uniformly brown all over. So take your time to cook these pancakes. The crispy texture of the pancakes are to die for. So leave it for a little extra time to achieve that texture.
Dipping Sauce
Take a cup and add in all the dipping sauce ingredients and mix well. The dipping sauce is ready. My son prefers to have it with the all time universal favourite – “ketchuppppp”.
Serve hot and count your little blessings!
- 1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
- ½ cup boiling water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 green onions
- ¼ cup peanut oil or sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 green chilli, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon water
- Make a dough with flour, hot water and salt. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
- Make golf ball size dough balls out of the dough. Dust the dough ball in flour, flatten and roll the dough into a three inch circle. Brush it with a thin layer of oil. Roll the dough into a log. Roll the log again to form a spiral. Rest for 5 minutes.
- Dust the rested and spiraled dough in flour and flatten and roll into a 3 to 3.5 inch circle. Brush it with a thin layer of oil. Sprinkle the green onions on the rolled dough. Gently, roll the dough into a log. Roll the log again to form a spiral. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Flatten the dough again, dust with flour and roll it into a thin disk. About 2.5 to 3 inches.
- Heat a skillet and add in half a teaspoon of oil. Place the green onion rolled dough on the skillet and add half a teaspoon of oil on top. If you want extra crispy pancakes, add a little more oil. Cook for 2 minutes on each side on a medium flame till the pancakes are brown and crispy.
- Take a cup and add in all the dipping sauce ingredients and mix well. The dipping sauce is ready.
Thanks to your blog/s, kids have statred looking at me as a super star.
To rub shoulders with my wife in the kitchen, yet hogging much of the limelight.
Your recipes have made a world of difference in the kitchen.
Husbands no more chicken out and have made kitchens a shared terrain.
God Bless and keep on rolling out new recipes.
Respectful Regards,
Venky
Hi Venkatesh
Looks like you are such a romantic in the kitchen. Stay blessed.
Really nice to know that the kids are enjoying. Happy cooking.
Nice recipie and description. Any alternative for maida? can we do this with any other flour?
You can try with whole wheat flour (atta).