Favorite National Foods

One of my favorite dishes to order at a dim sum Chinese restaurant is scallion pancakes. These thin, round pancakes are crispy out the outside and chewy on the inside.

Until I started making them about a year ago, I didn’t realize how easy they were to cook at home!To make the pancakes, all you need are four basic ingredients: flour, hot (boiling) water, scallions, and salt.

The hot water makes the pancakes easier to flatten, especially during the first rollout. I tried this recipe with room temperature water, and the dough shrank back constantly. I usually boil water with my electric kettle and measure out 3/4 cups of the water inside a glass measuring cup. Then, I pour the water directly into the flour.

I also add garlic powder to my scallion pancakes because I think this adds great flavor to the pancakes. But you can skip it if you don’t have garlic powder in your spice drawer, or if you don’t like garlic. (A bit of onion powder also works wonderfully in these pancakes!)

The pancakes are great on their own, or paired with a soy sauce and vinegar based dipping sauce. Serve them while they’re hot from the griddle and still crispy!