Green Onion Pancakes AKA Cong You Bing...very interesting.

This recipe was presented by Julie Van Rosendaal in a recent 'How We Eat' column in  Toronto's Globe and Mail. Apparently these green onion pancakes were popularized by restaurateur Siu To of Edmonton, who is credited with introducing cong you bing (a scallion pancake) to the city in 1979. Not sure when and how these are meant to be eaten. I believe they are supposed to be snack-like.They are definitely best when warm. Actually, I think they might be good served with my sister's yellow pea dip.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp butter or shortening
• 2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 bunch of green onions roughly chopped
• salt to taste

Methods:

Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add the water and stir until the dough comes together. Knead for an indefinite period of time. The dough apparently is supposed to feel like your cheek. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter or shortening and combine it with the canola/vegetable oil and sesame oil in a small bowl.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll out each piece as thin as you can get it. (I did not roll them sufficiently thinly). Brush the dough with the butter and oil mixture and sprinkle with a handful of chopped scallions.

Starting with a long side, roll the dough up then make a coil as you might a cinnamon roll.

Set the 4 coils aside to rest for about 20 minutes. 

Next, place each coil between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll them out as thinly as you like. Heat a skillet over medium high heat with a drizzle of oil and cook one pancake at a time, covering the skillet with a lid for the first 2-3 minutes. The reduce the heat to medium low and flip the pancake, cooking it uncovered for another 1-2 minutes.

This is what my coil of cong you bing looked like prior to flattening.