The Everything Chinese Cookbook (72 page)

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾–1 cup boiling water

¼ cup sesame oil

1. Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and quickly stir with a wooden spoon.
   
2. As soon as you can withstand the heat, knead the warm dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.
   
3. Cut the dough in half. Roll each half into a 9-inch cylinder. Using a tape measure, lightly score and cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. You will have 18 pieces at this point.
   
4. Shape each piece into a ball and then flatten into a circle between the palms of your hands. Brush the top of each piece with sesame oil, and then place the pieces on top of each other, oiled sides together.
   
5. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pieces into a 5½–6-inch circle. (Don't worry if the edges overlap.) Continue with the rest of the dough.
   
6. Heat a dry pan on low-medium heat. When the pan is hot, add one of the paired pancakes and cook on each side for 2 minutes or until brown bubbles appear (the second side will cook more quickly).Remove from the pan and pull the pancakes apart while they are still hot. Place on a plate and cover with a damp cloth while cooking the remainder.
   

Pancakes for Dinner

Besides making a tasty snack, mandarin pancakes are served with the northern dishes mu shu pork and Peking duck. In the case of mu shu pork, the pork is wrapped in the pancakes, which are brushed with hoisin sauce. To be completely authentic, the sauce should be brushed on with Green Onion Brushes (page 73).

½ cup dried red beans

1½ cups water

¼ cup sugar (or to taste)

1¼ tablespoons oil

1. Rinse the beans and soak overnight in water to cover, adding more water if necessary. Drain.
   
2. In a medium saucepan bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Add the beans and simmer for at least 2 hours or until they are tender. Drain.
   
3. Place the beans and the sugar in a blender and process until smooth. Heat the oil in a preheated wok or saucepan. Add the processed bean paste and stir-fry until it is dry. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The bean paste will last for approximately 1 week.
   

Mandarin Pancakes (page 268)

1 can red bean paste

Oil for stir-frying

When the Mandarin Pancakes have cooled, add approximately 1 tablespoon of red bean paste to each pancake and spread it out evenly. Roll up the pancake and stir-fry until golden. Serve warm.

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

2 cups diced fresh pineapple

1 teaspoon peeled, grated ginger

3 cups milk

1. Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring. Add the diced pineapple and ginger. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
   
2. Strain the syrup to remove the ginger and pineapple. Add the milk to the syrup. Freeze. Chill the pineapple.
   
3. When the ice cream is partially frozen, stir the chilled pineapple back in. Continue freezing. Thaw slightly before serving.
   

1 can grass jelly

1 can lychees

1 small can mandarin orange sections

1. Remove the grass jelly from the can, slice, and cut into cubes.
   
2. Place the grass jelly cubes in a large bowl. Add the lychees and mandarin orange sections, and pour the syrup from the canned fruits over.
   

Grass Jelly Drink

A popular Southeast Asian drink consists of grass jelly cubes mixed with rock sugar. But, however you enjoy your grass jelly, it's important to neutralize its strong flavor with sugar, leaving you free to enjoy the slippery texture.

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup boiling water

2
cups glutinous rice flour

1 cup sweet red bean paste

¼ cup white sesame seeds

6 cups oil for deep-frying

1. Add the brown sugar to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve. Cool.
   
2. Place the glutinous rice flour in a large bowl, making a well in the middle. Give the sugar/water mix a quick stir and slowly pour into the well, stirring to mix with the flour. Continue stirring until well mixed. You should have a sticky, caramel-colored dough at this point.
   
3. Rub your hands in a bit of the rice flour so that the dough doesn't stick to them. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball roughly the size of a golf ball.
   
4. Flatten the ball with the palm of your hand, then use your thumb to make an indentation in the middle. Take no more than 1 teaspoon of red bean paste, and use your hand to shape the paste into a circle. Place the paste in the indentation in the dough. Fold the dough over the paste and roll back into a ball. Continue with the remainder of the dough.
   
5. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on a sheet of waxed paper. Roll the balls in the seeds.
   
6. In a wok or large pot, heat 6 cups of oil to between 330–350°F. Deep-fry the sesame seed balls a few at a time, carefully pushing them against the sides of the wok when they float to the top. The sesame balls are cooked when they expand to approximately 3 times their size and turn golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.