Scallion Pancakes (Cong You Bing) Recipe
Scallion pancakes, or cong you bing, are a popular Chinese street snack. They’re a bit like thin, layered potato pancakes, just without potatoes and with lots of scallions inside. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside – perfect for breakfast, dinner, or as a snack with soup.
These scallion pancakes use hot-water dough, which makes them wonderfully elastic and easy to roll into thin layers. The spiral shaping creates flaky, multi-layered interiors while keeping the outside crisp and golden.
Chef's tips
Don’t skip the resting time for the dough – it makes rolling much easier and prevents shrinking. When rolling out the final pancakes, use gentle, even pressure so you don’t squeeze out the oil and scallions. Fry over medium heat rather than high, so the layers cook through without burning.
How to serve
Serve as a breakfast or light dinner with a dipping sauce and a simple cucumber salad. They’re also great alongside Asian-style soups, stir-fries, or as a side to mapo tofu or other saucy dishes.
Ingredients
- flour type 450–550 - 250 g
- hot water not boiling, but very hot - 150 ml
- salt 0.5 for the dough, the rest for sprinkling - 0.75 teaspoon
- oil 2 tablespoons for brushing the dough, 2 for frying - 4 tablespoon
- sesame oil for aroma, can be omitted - 1 tablespoon
- spring onion a large handful of finely chopped green parts - 6 piece
- ground white pepper optional - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Put the flour and 0.5 teaspoon of salt into a bowl. Pour in the hot water, stirring with chopsticks or a fork until clumps of dough form.
- When the dough has cooled slightly (it should be warm but not too hot to touch), start kneading by hand for 5–7 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If it’s very sticky, add a little flour.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap, and set aside for 20 minutes to rest.
- In the meantime, finely chop the green parts of the spring onion or chives. In a small bowl, mix the sesame oil with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, the remaining salt, and the pepper.
- After resting, divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each part into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first ball into a thin pancake about 20 cm in diameter.
- Brush the pancake with a thin layer of the oil mixture (about 1 teaspoon), then generously sprinkle with the chopped spring onion.
- Roll the pancake up tightly like a crêpe, then coil the roll into a snail shape (spiral). Tuck the end underneath.
- Gently flatten with your hand, then roll out into a pancake about 15 cm in diameter. Don’t press too hard so the inner layers remain distinct.
- Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.
- Heat a thin layer of oil (about 0.5 tablespoon) in a frying pan over medium heat. Place one pancake in the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and slightly crispy. If it browns too quickly, reduce the heat.
- Transfer the fried pancakes to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve hot, cut into wedges.
Storage
Usmażone placuszki możesz przechowywać w lodówce do 2 dni lub zamrozić do 1 miesiąca. Podgrzewaj na suchej patelni na średnim ogniu po 2–3 minuty z każdej strony, aż znów będą chrupiące.
