Cong you bing (In Chinese,), literally “chive pancake” is delicious Chinese fried bread. It is a type of unleavened bread made from wheat flour, which is traditional in Chinese cuisine. be fried in a pan or it can be grilled. These Chinese pancakes can also be cooked, although this version is not as common.
it is close to pancakes, or any other pancake obtained by baking the dough prepared with unleavened wheat flour, in Chinese and Western cuisines. It is similar to Indian roti, French pancake or Mexican omelette. It is a very popular Chinese recipe that can be served as a side or as a simple snack to accompany a bowl of soup. It can also be served for breakfast.
What is the origin of Chinese chive omelet « Cong You Bing » ?
Tracing the origins of this recipe seems complicated, as there are countless legends and folk tales about it. It would seem that the birth of cong you bing goes back so far in time that even Chinese historians disagree on its exact origin.The most widely accepted theory would be that the birth of this scallion pancake is linked to the large Indian community in Shanghai because of its resemblance to paratha, a typical flatbread from northern India.
The most popular legend has it that on his return from China, Marco Polo was absent from the congress and allegedly asked several Italian cooks to try to prepare it. Various variations were born, and most Chinese believe that this thin pancake would be the ancestor of pizza as we know it today. This legend says that a Neapolitan chef, who cooked under the orders of Marco Polo, failed for a long time until Marco Polo had the idea not to fill the pancake, but to put all the ingredients on top. Later, the chef had the idea to add cheese and offered a pizza. A fairly popular Chinese legend but also pure fantasy of course! Because we all know that the origins of pizza go back to an earlier time.
Why this recipe :
I shared a recipe a few years ago and since then I’ve been perfecting the method. Today I want to share an updated version that uses even simpler ingredients to yield a better result.
- A dough that’s easy to work with and takes minimal time to prepare and rest.
- Delightfully crispy and flaky texture with thin layers inside.
- Extra green onion stuffing, giving it a more aromatic flavor.
- Skipped the animal fat while maintaining the flavor and the texture of the dish.
Tasty Chinese Cong You Bing
Ingrédients
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 cup of boiling water
- ¼ cup of cold water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 8 oz. chive
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Finely chop the chives. Toss with sesame oil and ½ teaspoon of salt and refrigerate.
- Combine the flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the boiling water at the same time and mix vigorously.
- Then gradually add cold water and knead until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous and smooth dough. Let stand 45 minutes...
- Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Gently roll each piece of dough until it is about ⅛ inches thick.
- Brush each piece of dough with oil. Sprinkle generously with fresh onions.
- Roll each piece of dough to form a long stick and twist each stick to form a snail shape. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll each snail into circles ¼ inch thick.
- Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium heat and cook each pancake for 3 to 4 minutes per side.