You Should Make Pancakes With Green Onions With Dumpling Wrappers
I am rarely overwhelmed by a culinary life hack. Sure, I’m often amazed, but this green onion pancake trick made me wince. It is relievingly simple, incredibly identical in taste to the “real” product, and completely eliminates the hassle and hesitation associated with dough preparation. This dish is for lovers of crispy pancakes with green onions and passionate cooks who can’t seem to get those flaky layers right. We take wrappers from dumplings and proceed to laying out.
What are onion pancakes?
Green onion pancakes, also called Cong You Bing , are crispy, chewy, flaky fried dough laced with fragrant green onions. They are savory, salty, and go well with soup, noodles, or on their own as an appetizer. Green onion pancakes are originally from China and can vary slightly in how they are cooked and topped depending on where they are made, and are often served as an appetizer or side dish in Chinese restaurants. If you haven’t tried them yet, this quick version might help, but you should also order them from a restaurant.
Made from scratch, spring onion pancakes require a dough usually made from flour, water, salt, and possibly oil. As with all types of dough, consistency is important and this dough should be flexible but not sticky. Then, depending on the recipe, the dough is usually rolled out, topped with scallions and butter, then rolled out, twisted, and rolled out again. If this sounds confusing, it might be.
I stumbled across this hack from The Woks of Life and thought it might be too good to be true, but if it worked, the game would change, as they say. And the worst thing that can happen is delicious fried dough with onions, so why not give it a try? The trick to these spring onion pancakes is to completely forget about the handmade dough and use round dumpling wrappers instead. They usually come in packs of 50, all folded and wrapped in plastic wrap. They freeze and thaw like a dream, which is why you’ll usually find them in the freezer of most markets and grocery stores. If you don’t finish the packaging in one go, you can also wrap them up and freeze them for later.
Here are a few dumpling wrappers I use, both round and square:
Dumpling wrappers are made with the same ingredients as spring onion pancake batter: flour, water, and salt (with a little cornstarch added to prevent sticking and sodium benzoate as a preservative). Stuff and fry them like spring onion pancakes and it’s no wonder they’re perfect.
How to make Easy Onion Pancakes
All you need is three ingredients and a hot oil pan. Round dumpling wrappers are pre-cooked and shaped dough. All you have to do is layer. Finely chop a couple of onions and prepare the salt and butter. Take one round of thawed dumplings and place it on the counter. They’re dusted with cornstarch to prevent sticking, so you don’t have to worry about flouring your work surface.
Use a pastry brush and brush the wrapper with a thin layer of neutral vegetable oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of green onion pieces. Place a second dumpling wrapper on top and press down. Repeat the pinch of oil, salt, and green onions to make five dumpling wrappers.
Using a rolling pin, start in the center and roll out. Turn the dough to roll out the opposite end. It is normal for the oil and cornstarch to form a paste and ooze a little. Take a pancake and turn it over so that the bottom is facing up. Roll again to get a round shape. Rotate and flip from top to bottom, every other roll, until you get a circle about five inches in diameter. If you don’t flip it from top to bottom, the bottom wrap won’t stretch with the rest.
Add about a tablespoon of neutral oil – I use canola oil – to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Fry the pancake for about two to three minutes on each side. There should be dark brown patchy areas and small bubbles on each side of the dough. Make sure there is enough oil in the pan. The oil should build up and bubble a little around the edges of each pancake, and you’ll need to add more oil to the pan from time to time, between pancakes, and maybe even between flipping. It’s fried dough, so just take it now and enjoy its glory.
This damn thing is legal. It’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, lightly salty and full of scallions. Each piece is flaky (thank you, layered wrappers) and laced with delicate green slivers. Like all properly fried foods, it will mysteriously not be greasy.
The only thing I lacked in the handmade dough was tenderness – emotional and physical. Handmade pancakes have a soft stretch that you can’t get with dumpling wrappers. You can add a couple more dumpling wrappers to make the pancakes thicker, but you’ll have to cook them a little longer, and although they’ll be thicker, they won’t be any more tender.
That’s the only small downside, they completely satisfy my needs for green onion pancakes. When it comes to quick spring onion pancakes that can be enjoyed by everyone, chefs and those who are frustrated with the dough, this trick is second to none. Try and enjoy a great allium-based snack.
Easy Pancakes with Green Onions and Dumplings
( adapted from “Life’s Work”)
Ingredients:
- 5, 10 or 15 dumpling wrappers (5 wraps for 1 pancake)
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3-5 tablespoons canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1-2 teaspoons of salt
Pour about two tablespoons of oil into a small bowl. You will use this to clean the wrappers. The rest of the oil will go to the pan.
Place the dumpling wrapper on the table and, using a pastry brush, brush with oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of chopped green onion on top. Add another dumpling wrapper and repeat. Do this until you have five wraps and four layers of green onions. Use a rolling pin to flatten the pancake until it is a circle about five inches in diameter. Remember to rotate the dough and turn it upside down so that all the wrappers are evenly stretched. The dough will become quite thin and all the layers will stick together as one.
Over medium-low heat, add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the pancake for about two to three minutes on each side. The finished pancake will have deep brown spots and small bubbles. Repeat with all of your pancakes. Cut into quarters and serve.