Spring Onion Pancake (葱油饼)

I am not a fan of spring onion.  As best as possible, I will remove it when I am served with this garnish.  The elders always said, if you don't eat 葱, you are not going to be 聪明 (as in smart).

Initially I thought I am the only weird one but slowly I came to know many friends who don't take spring onion as well.

It was on a Taiwan trip that I got to savour Spring Onion Pancake (葱油饼) as there was a famous stall there.  Initially I just wanted to try so my friend and I only bought one piece and it was so good that we actually went back to queue for a second helping.

The pancake was fragrant but do not have that sharp bite of spring onion.

I have attempted once on this but that didn't turn out well as it was bland and dense.  This time round, I added in more salt and did a different method.

Finding: The dough is flaky and fragrant.  It has also a crisp bite to it when fresh out of the pan.  Though I didn't get the same taste as the one I ate before, as compared to my last attempt, this is so much better.

What you need:

8 Serving:

410g plain flour

½ boiling water

1 cup warm water (I mixed room temp water to ¼ cup hot water)

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp oil

100g spring onion, chopped

cooking oil (you can add as much oil as you want, the more you have the richer the flavor)

Method:

Add boiling water to the flour.  Mix to incorporate all the water.

Next add in the warm water slowly while mixing.  Stop once you are able to form a dough.  Depending on flour, that 1 cup of water might be too much.

Knead the dough until it is smooth and cling wrap.  Set aside for 20 mins.

In a small bowl, add plain flour, salt and oil.  Mix well. 

Floured the table top, place dough and gently roll the dough into a ball.

Divide dough into 8 portion.

Gently knead each portion again.

Roll into a thin disc, spread the oil mixture and sprinkle spring onion.

Roll up tightly into a tube.  Flatten and spread another layer of oil mixture.

Roll up the tube, make sure the ends are sealed.  Flatten into a disc again.

Roll the disc flat.

Heat up the pan, place pancake in it and pan fried with no oil on medium heat until it is cooked.  Flip and do same for the other side.

Drizzle in oil onto the pancake, flip and cook until it is golden brown.  Flip and do same for the other side.

Crush up with your palm to “loosen” the pancake.

Serve hot.