Jian Bing, Chinese Crepes (煎饼)

One of the most democratic chinese breakfasts, Jian Bing can be made at home with ease ! My recipe includes tips, tricks & a tutorial video .

What is Jian Bing

Known as chinese crepes, Jian Bing/煎饼 ( or Jian Bing Guozi/煎饼果子 ) is one of the most popular breakfasts sold at street stalls in China. It consists of wheat and grain-based crepe, an egg, french-fry crackers ( known as Bao Cui/薄脆 in Chinese ), 2-3 savoury/spicy sauces, chopped scallions & coriander. Folded into an envelope, Jian Bing is normally eaten as finger food while people travel to work/school on interfering mornings ( Watch the video recording in the recipe card below to see how street vendors make them ) .
As a humiliate and bum food, Jian Bing won its nation-wide popularity for its freshness ( always made in front of the customers ) and its complex, multi-layered flavour and texture. It ’ south an absolute must-try when visiting China ! In late years, it ’ south besides getting external recognition. You can find it in eateries in megacities like London, New York, Sydney, etc.

How to make it at home

well accessible and low-cost, Jian Bing is rarely made at home in China. however, if you are away from China and crave this alone street food, you should decidedly try recreating it in your own kitchen. When I figured out how to cook it effortlessly without using any particular equipment, I was overjoyed !

The cooking procedure

Step 1: Fry the crispy crackers

1. Stick two pieces of ready-made wonton wrappers with a little water
2. Deep fry until lightly golden (you don’t need much oil if using a small saucepan).

Step 2: Cook the crepes

1. Combine all-purpose flour, wholemeal flour (or flour made of other grains) and water into a thin batter.
2. Pour the batter into a frying pan to form a crepe.
3. Crack an egg on top of the crepe then spread. Add sesame seeds & scallions.
4. Flip over when the crepe firms up. Brush sauces of your choice. Add coriander & lettuce leaves. Then top with two crispy crackers.
5. Fold the crepe around the crackers and enjoy!

No special equipment required

If you have eaten Jian Bing in China, you know that the vendors normally have a alone setup ( Watch the video recording in the recipe wag below ) : A flat, edgeless crepe godhead attached to the stave which produces even heating system ; a wooden rectangle scraper to spread the dinge, vitamin a well as the alligatored egg ; a alloy triangle scraper for lifting and cutting the crepes .
My home-version Jian Bing doesn ’ triiodothyronine necessitate these special tools. To make it a stress-free experience using ordinary kitchenware, hera are my tricks :

• Use a non-stick frying pan, ideally not smaller than 28cm/11inch in diameter.
• Make the batter thin so it can flow on its own into a circle.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread the egg.
• Use a lid to help flipping without tearing the crepe.

How to make arrant crepes

What flour to use

To make the batter for the crepes, you will need three simple ingredients : all-purpose flour, wholemeal flour and water. This is not a traditional/classic combination but I love its handiness and the taste is great excessively .
The typical batter for Jian Bing sold in china is made of a mixture of white flour, mung bean flour ( 绿豆面 ) and water. Flour of other grains is sometimes used to replace mung bean flour, such as soy flour, millet flour, cornmeal, etc. If you have easy access to these ingredients, please feel rid to use as a alternate for wheaten flour in my recipe .

The ideal batter ratio

As I mentioned above, you would need a reasonably flimsy and fluid buffet for homemade Jian Bing. This way you don ’ t have to use a crepe diffuse to make a beat crape. Through tests, I ’ ve come to an ideal ratio (by volume) :

• 2 parts all-purpose flour
• 1 part wholemeal flour
• 5 parts water

Cooking techniques

It can be crafty to make a perfect crepe as several factors affect the performance and the concluding result : the type of pan, the temperature of the heat, the cooking time, the flip proficiency, etc. here are a few tips that you might find utilitarian .

• Use a non-stick pan if possible. If using other types of pan, brush a thin layer of oil before pouring in the batter.
• Cook over medium-low heat throughout.
• Pour in the batter when the pan is warm to touch but not burning. Otherwise, the batter will become solid immediately thus impossible to flow into a nice circle.
• Spread the egg over the crepe once the batter turns solid. If you do it too early, you might break the crepe.
• When the crepe slides in the pan freely, it’s time to flip over. Do not rush and move the pan to test.
• To avoid tearing while flipping, I use a large lid to help. Slide the crepe onto the inner side of the lid then put it back to the pan (Please refer to the tutorial video in the recipe card below).

How to make crisp crackers

The crisp crackers wrapped inside the crepes make Jian Bing excess appealing. not only does it add another layer of spirit, but it besides creates a very enjoyable crunchiness when you bite into it. By deep-frying ready-made wonton wrappers, you can make these crackers in just a few minutes .

• The type of wrapper I use looks yellow as it contains alkaline (same as the ones I use for my Easy Pork Wonton Soup). You can also use whiter-looking wonton wrappers. Usually, they can be found in the frozen food section in Chinese supermarkets. Defrost in the fridge before using.
• I like using two pieces of wrappers to make one cracker. Simply stick them together with a little water then secure by pressing with a rolling pin.
• Since the wrappers are pretty small and it takes only 30-40 seconds to fry one, I suggest you use a small saucepan to deep fry. This way you wouldn’t have to use too much oil (By the way, it’s ok to reuse the oil a second time).

In some regions of China, you may find Jian Bing with another type of crisp filling. rather of the square/rectangle crackers, the vendors put You Tiao (油条, Chinese doughnut sticks) inside the crepes. evenly delightful ! Check out my recipe and give it a judge .

Which sauces to use

now let ’ s speak about the sauces brushed over the crepes. They make bang-up contributions to the level of delectability of your Jian Bing. hera is a list of popular Chinese sauces that you can choose and mix .

• Soybean paste (Huang Dou Jiang/黄豆酱). You may also find it named as (Da Jiang/大酱).
• Chilli garlic sauce (蒜蓉辣酱). I have a recipe for Hunan-style Chili Garlic Sauce which can be used in many other dishes.
• Fermented bean curd (Fu Ru/腐乳) It’s also known as “Chinese cheese” (but it’s not a dairy product). It comes in cubes. Mash it into a paste before using.
• Sweet bean paste (Tian Mian Jiang/甜面酱). Sometimes it’s translated into sweet flour paste.
• Laoganma black bean in chilli oil (老干妈风味豆豉). Laoganma is the brand name of a series of spicy sauces. Other sauces under this name are good too.

When shooting this recipe, I used the first two types of sauces which are the most normally used at Jian Bing stalls in China .

Make in promote

Want to serve Jian Bing as breakfast on busy mornings ? It ’ s decidedly feasible if you do some preparation ahead .

• Fry the crackers in advance. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge overnight. Stir well before pouring into the pan.
• Wash and chop scallions, coriander and lettuce leaves then keep in a container in the fridge.

Jian Bing, Chinese crepes (煎饼)

One of the most popular Chinese breakfasts, Jian Bing can be made at home with ease! My recipe includes tips, tricks & a tutorial video.

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Pin

Prep:

5

minutes

Cook:

25

minutes

Total:

30

minutes

Servings:

4

servings

Ingredients

For the crackers

• ▢

  16 ready-made won ton wrappers, see note 1

• ▢

  cooking oil, for french-fry, see note 2

For the batter

• ▢

  70 gigabyte general-purpose flour, ½ cup

• ▢

  40 thousand wholemeal flour, ¼ cup, see note 3

• ▢

  300 milliliter water, 1¼ cup

For the crepes

• ▢

  Read more: Incubating Coturnix Quail Eggs | Community Chickens

  4 eggs

• ▢

  4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

• ▢

  4 teaspoon finely chopped scallions

For the sauce (see note 4 for more options)

• ▢

  4 teaspoon soy glue

• ▢

  4 teaspoon chilli garlic sauce

Optional

• ▢

  coriander

• ▢

  lettuce leaves

5 Secrets of Authentic Chinese CookingGet the guide for FREE

Instructions

Fry the crackers

• Brush a thin layer of water on a wonton wrapper. Stick another one on the top then using a rolling pin to press tight. Cut two lines in th middles. Repeat to make another 7 pairs.

• Heat up oil in a wok/pot. When the temperature reaches 180°C/360°F, start frying.

• Gently slide in wonton wrappers. Flip over to fry the other side.

• Pick out when they’re lightly brown (Do not overcook). Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Mix the batter

• Put all-purpose flour and wholemeal flour into a mixing bowl. Pour in the water. Stir to combine until smooth.

Make the crepes

• Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat (I use a 28cm/11inch pan). When it’s warm to touch (not burning), pour in ¼ part of the batter. Move the pan to allow the batter to evenly cover the entire surface.

• When there is no runny batter can be seen, crack an egg on top. Use the back of a spoon to break the yolk and spread.

• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.

• When the crepe becomes firm and slides easily in the pan, it’s time to flip it over. To avoid tearing, slide the crepe onto the inner side of a large lid then put it back to the pan.

Assemble the dish

• Turn off the heat after flipping (the remaining heat will cook through the egg). Brush soybean paste and chilli garlic sauce over the crepe (see note 3 for other sauce options).

• Add coriander and lettuce leaves if using. Place two pieces of fried crackers in the middle.

• Fold the crepe to wrapper everything (Please refer to the video below). Serve immediately.

Make in advance

• You may fry the crackers in advance. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge overnight. Stir well before pouring into the pan.

Video

NOTES

1. Wonton wrappers normally can be found in the frigid food section in chinese supermarkets. Defrost in the electric refrigerator before using. If any bequeath after cooking Jian Bing, why not try my Easy Pork Wonton Soup
2. You don ’ t need a bunch of oil for deep fry won ton wrappers. If using a little saucepan, about 200ml vegetable oil would be adequate for the job .
3. You may use general-purpose flour alone if you wish. alternatively, you can replace wholemeal flour with mung bean flour ( N.B. not mung bean starch ), millet flour, cornmeal, soybean flour, etc .
4. apart from the two condiments suggested, you can besides use chinese fermented bean curd/腐乳 ( chat up into a fine spread ), Laoganma bootleg bean in chili oil ( 老干妈风味豆豉 ), Sweet attic paste/甜面酱, etc .

Cooked this recipe ? Show me your dish or ask me questions @ red.house.spice

Author:

Wei Guo

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source : http://heyreviewfood.com
Category : CHINESE FOOD