Entree: China – Tianjin – 天津煎饼 ➤ Tiānjīn jiānbǐng (Thin savory crepe with egg, scallions, crunchy fried dough, and savory-sweet sauces)
Serving Size: 4
Approximate Time
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Additional
15 min
Total
45 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (45 g) mung bean flour or mung bean starch
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water, plus extra if needed to thin batter
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 4 large eggs, approx. 1.8 oz (50 g) each
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral oil, plus extra for the pan
- 4 youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks) or 4 pieces crispy fried wonton wrappers, torn into strips
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (15 g) cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) hoisin sauce
- 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) chili sauce or chili crisp, to taste
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame paste or tahini (optional, thinned with water)
- Soy sauce for brushing (optional)
Instructions
1. Make batter: whisk together all-purpose flour, mung bean flour, water, and salt until smooth and pourable; let rest 10–15 minutes. Thin with a little more water if too thick.
2. Heat a 10–12 inch (25–30 cm) nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and brush lightly with oil.
3. For each pancake, ladle about 1/3 cup (80 ml) batter into center of hot pan and quickly tilt and rotate pan to spread a thin, even crepe about 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) across. Cook until surface begins to set but still slightly wet, about 20–30 seconds.
4. Crack one egg onto the crepe and spread it thinly with a spatula to cover the surface. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and a few cilantro leaves. Cook until the egg is mostly set.
5. Flip the crepe briefly if needed to cook through, then flip back. Spread a thin layer of hoisin, a swirl of chili sauce, and a smear of sesame paste if using across the center.
6. Place one torn youtiao or a stack of crispy wonton strips along the center, press lightly, then fold the crepe edges over to encase the filling into a long roll or fold into quarters.
7. Brush lightly with a touch of soy sauce if desired, cut in half, and serve hot. Repeat for remaining batter.
