Jian Bing, Chinese crepes (煎饼)
One of the most popular Chinese breakfasts, Jian Bing can be made at home with ease! My recipe includes tips, tricks & a tutorial video.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the crackers
- 16 ready-made wonton wrappers see note 1
- cooking oil, for deep-frying see note 2
For the batter
- 70 g all-purpose flour ½ cup
- 40 g wholemeal flour ¼ cup, see note 3
- 300 ml water 1¼ cup
For the crepes
- 4 eggs
- 4 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 4 teaspoon finely chopped scallions
For the sauce (see note 4 for more options)
- 4 teaspoon soybean paste
- 4 teaspoon chilli garlic sauce
Optional
- coriander
- lettuce leaves
Instructions
Fry the crackers
- Brush a thin layer of water on a wonton wrapper. Stick another one on the top then using a rolling pin to press tight. Cut two lines in th middles. Repeat to make another 7 pairs.
- Heat up oil in a wok/pot. When the temperature reaches 180°C/360°F, start frying.
- Gently slide in wonton wrappers. Flip over to fry the other side.
- Pick out when they’re lightly brown (Do not overcook). Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
Mix the batter
- Put all-purpose flour and wholemeal flour into a mixing bowl. Pour in the water. Stir to combine until smooth.
Make the crepes
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat (I use a 28cm/11inch pan). When it’s warm to touch (not burning), pour in ¼ part of the batter. Move the pan to allow the batter to evenly cover the entire surface.
- When there is no runny batter can be seen, crack an egg on top. Use the back of a spoon to break the yolk and spread.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.
- When the crepe becomes firm and slides easily in the pan, it’s time to flip it over. To avoid tearing, slide the crepe onto the inner side of a large lid then put it back to the pan.
Assemble the dish
- Turn off the heat after flipping (the remaining heat will cook through the egg). Brush soybean paste and chilli garlic sauce over the crepe (see note 3 for other sauce options).
- Add coriander and lettuce leaves if using. Place two pieces of fried crackers in the middle.
- Fold the crepe to wrapper everything (Please refer to the video below). Serve immediately.
Make in advance
- You may fry the crackers in advance. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge overnight. Stir well before pouring into the pan.
Video
Notes
1. Wonton wrappers usually can be found in the frozen food section in Chinese supermarkets. Defrost in the fridge before using. If any left after cooking Jian Bing, why not try my Easy Pork Wonton Soup!
2. You don’t need a lot of oil for deep frying wonton wrappers. If using a small saucepan, about 200ml oil would be enough for the job.
3. You may use all-purpose flour only if you wish. Alternatively, you can replace wholemeal flour with mung bean flour (N.B. not mung bean starch), millet flour, cornmeal, soybean flour, etc.
4. Apart from the two condiments suggested, you can also use Chinese fermented bean curd/腐乳 (mash into a fine paste), Laoganma black bean in chilli oil (老干妈风味豆豉), Sweet bean paste/甜面酱, etc.
