Spring Onion Pancake - Chong Yao Beng

Spring onion pancakes are also known as green onion pancakes or scallion pancake. In Cantonese they are called 葱油饼 (Chong Yao Beng - spring onion oil pancake). This pancake is usually eaten as a snack, but could also be eaten with a meal.

Ingredients (makes 4)

• Flour - 150 grams
• Warm Water - 125 ml
• Spring Onions - 4 stalks
• Vegetable or Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
• Salt - add more or less by taste

Dice the spring onion and set it aside. Sift the flour and mix it with warm water. Knead it into a soft dough. If the dough is too sticky you can add a little bit flour, but the dough cannot be too firm. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.

Spread some flour on the board where you will roll out the dough. Cover your roller pin with some flour to prevent the dough sticking to it. Take one portion of dough and roll it out as thin as possible (2mm). The thinner the pastry, the crispier the pancake will be. Brush the pastry with oil on one side.

Sprinkle on salt and the spring onion. Roll the pancake from two sides towards each other. Press and seal the edges. Role up the up the dough in a form of a snail and turn it on it's side and flatten the pancake a bit.

You can choose to deep-fry or to stir-fry it with 4tbsp of oil. It is ready when it is golden brown. The pancake should be crispy from the outside and chewy from the inside. Serve it while it is hot with any sauce of your preference.