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Jidan guanbing
Jīdàn guànbǐng (鸡蛋灌饼): flaky Henan flatbread puffed and filled with egg
ChineseJidan guanbing, "egg-poured pancake", started in Henan and is now on breakfast carts across China: a layered flatbread puffs up like a balloon on the griddle, the cook tears a slit, pours beaten egg inside, then wraps it around lettuce with sweet bean sauce and chilli. The mistake is rolling the dough too thick so it never puffs; roll it thin and seal the oil paste well inside so steam separates the layers. Chef's tip: press the centre gently with a spatula as soon as it starts to rise, which pushes the air into one big pocket ready for the egg.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- ½ cup hot water
- 3 ½ tbsp cold water
For the oil paste
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp neutral oilhot
- ½ tsp salt
For the filling
- 4 eggs
- 2 spring onionsfinely chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tbsp neutral oilfor the griddle
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Stir ½ cup hot water into 9 oz plain flour with chopsticks, then add 3 ½ tbsp cold water and knead for 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Mix 2 tbsp plain flour, 2 tbsp neutral oil and ½ tsp salt into a runny paste.
Step 3: Divide the dough into 4. Roll each into a thin rectangle, spread with a quarter of the paste, roll up from the long side, coil it like a snail and tuck the end under. Flatten and roll into a 16 cm round about 3 mm thick.
Step 4: Beat 4 eggs with 2 spring onions and 1 pinch salt.
Step 5: Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with a little 2 tbsp neutral oil and cook a round for 1–2 minutes until it starts to puff. Press the centre so it balloons.
2 minStep 6: Tear a small slit at the edge with chopsticks, pour in a quarter of the egg and flip at once. Cook for 2 minutes a side until the egg is fully set and both sides are golden and crisp. Repeat.
4 minStep 7: Spread each with 3 tbsp sweet bean sauce (tianmianjiang) and 1 tbsp chilli sauce, lay on 8 lettuce leaves, roll or fold, and eat hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jidan guanbing take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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