It is neither the type of Chinese pancake used for cradling pieces of Beijing Ducks nor is it a fluffy dessert that made from milk and baking soda. Yet it is not no body; it is a member of the dim sum found in some Cantonese restaurants. Occasionally, I also like to have it as a light meal at home cause ultimately it is a kind of starchy staples.
Cooks who love this Chinese pancake should have their own preferred recipe, I believe. Me, is just not an exception.
These pancakes I made are thin, soft but slightly crispy on both sides when hot. They are however less stiff than those served with Beijing Ducks and, are usually eaten alone without any fillings, toppings or sauces. Dried shrimp though is one of my most used ingredients in making this pancake, actually I would also be satisfied if there is only spring onion. Variations for making this pancake could be endless, ranging from adding chopped chives, and/or ham to mixing different amounts of flours. You shall notice that there is an easy ratio for the flours I used. If you prefer higher chewiness, then add more gluntinous flour. Or, reduce the amount of water for a thicker version.
- Batter
- 60g rice flour
- 40g glutinous rice flour (aka sticky rice flour)
- rice flour : glutinous flour = 1.5 : 1
- 60ml egg, beaten (~1 egg)
- 1 tsp oil
- 140ml water
- 7-8 tsp oil for frying
- Seasonings
- 1/2 tsp salt (My dried shrimps carry some saltiness, so adjust the amount of salt if yours is different. Try to make a small piece of pancake at the very beginning and check the taste.)
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- Ingredients into Batter
- 1 tbsp dried shrimps, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp spring onions, finely sliced
Yields 6 to 7 pieces 14cm pancakes
Method
Rinse and soak dried shrimps for 5 to 10 minutes or until they start softened. Discard water. Rinse spring onions (about 2 sprigs) and finely slice them.
Sieve the rice flour and glutinous flours, add water, mix well. Add beaten egg, oil, seasonings, chopped dried shrimps and spring onions, mix well again. The batter is a bit runny but that is fine for making into thin pancakes.
Heat a pan over medium heat. When heated, add one tea spoon of oil. Just before the oil starts to smoke lightly, lower heat to medium-low, pour in about 3 table spoons of batter into the pan to form a round shape. Let it set until the downside become golden yellow. Flip to the other side, drizzle into the pan a few more droplets of oil if the first side has taken up most. Again wait till the downside turns golden and dish up.
Add in another tea spoon of oil, and repeat doing the same for the remaining batter. Serve hot and enjoy.
Actually you may choose to fry into larger pieces of pancake and then cut them into sectors like most dim sum restaurants would do. The pancake on the right is the dim sum I ordered when dinning out. In Chinese it is called 薄罉, literally means a thin slice on a cooking vessel.
So, how about calling it a Chinese Crepe?