Chinese Onion Cake

Chinese Onion Cake
By May Huang



Ingredients (see picture below for main ingredients):

A: For dough:
1. 2 ½ C flour
2. 1 C water

B: For filling
3. ¾ t salt
4. ½ t black pepper
5. 1 ½ T canola oil (replaceable with other types of oil)
6. 3 T green onion, finely chopped, green part only

C: For pan fry
7. 2-3 T canola oil

Directions:

1. Mix flour and water well in a container, knead the dough to a smooth ball in the container, cover the container, and set the container aside for 1-2 hours.
2. Mix ingredients listed in B together in a small container
3. Knead the dough again on a working table, equally divide the dough to 2 -3 parts **
4. Use one part of the dough; roll out the dough to a flat sheet using rolling pin. The shape of the sheet should be square or round; and thickness of the sheet should be about ¼ inch. Take one third of the filling and equally spread it on the top of the sheet. Fold the sheet to equal three lays in one direction, and fold it three times again in another direction. The folded the dough should be square shape. Roll the folded the dough out to a flat sheet using rolling pin. See the following pictures for step-by step instruction.
5. Heat 1.5 table spoon of the oil in a flat fry pan with medium temperature. Add the dough sheet to the pan, cook for few minutes, and turn over the onion cake, and cook for another few minutes. The both side of the onion cake should be light golden brown.
6. Repeat the steps 4 & 5 to complete the remaining of the dough.

Note: ** depending on the size of pan, the dough can be divided to less or move parts.

Onion Mixture:




Step by step directions:





Notes: you can serve this Onion Cake with Chinese rice soup, corn meal soup, or broth based soup.

Red Bean Paste Roll

Red Bean Paste Roll
By May Huang





Ingredients (see the picture below for the main ingredients):
1. 3 C all purpose flour * (replaceable with whole wheat flour)
2. 1/2 t baking powder
3. 2 T sugar (optional)
4. ½ T yeast
5. 1 ¼ C warm water (95 F)**
6. 14 oz red bean paste (one package)



Directions (see the pictures below for the dough before braised and after raised):
1. Making dough: Mix flour and baking powder well in a container. Mix the sugar, yeast and warm water in a bowl, and set the bowl aside for few minutes. Mix the yeast mixture and the flour mixture well. Knead the dough to a smooth ball. Cover the container, and set the container aside for about1 – 2 hours (depending on the room temperate). The volume of the dough should be at least doubled when it is completely raised.

Dough Before Raised:



Dough After Raised:



2. Making Roll (see the step by step in the picture below): Take about half of the dough, and knead the dough again until it forms smooth and oval shape dough. Roll out the dough to make a rectangle sheet (about 12 inch long, 8 inch wide and ½ inch thick). Spread half of the red bean paste on the top of the dough sheet, and roll the sheet to a long stick, and cut the stick to two. Repeat the same step to finish the remaining dough.



3. Steaming: Fill steamer pan with water to half way full. Add one layer of coffee paper (or cheese cloth) at the bottom of the steamer, and wet the coffee paper. Place the sticks in the steamer. All the rolls should be fitted into an 11 inch and two-lay bamboo steamer. Place the steam set over the steamer pan. Steam the steamer with high temperature for 20 minutes. See the finished rolls in the picture below. Take the sticks out and cut them to small pieces.



Note:
* different brand of flour are slightly different in absorbing water. So the amount of water needed could be slightly different.

** You can use milk to replace water. You can also use cold water for mixing the flour, but it will longer time for raising flour.

Tip: It is common that steamed rolls shrink by its self after taking out from the steamer. The shrinking can be avoided if you use cold water to start steaming. Or you can set the raw sticks aside for 15 – 20 minutes before steaming.

Soft Steamed Bun (Fa Gao)

Soft Steamed Bun (Fa Gao)
By May Huang



Ingredients (see picture below):
1. 2 C rice flour
2. 1.5 C all purpose flour (replaceable with whole wheat flour)
3. 2/3 C sugar
4. 2 ¼ C milk (warm up to 95 F*)
5. ½ T yeast
6. ½ t baking powder
7. ¼ C raisin or dried cherry



Directions:
1. Making dough: Mix rice flour, all purpose flour, and sugar well in a medium size of container. Mix the yeast and milk in another container, and the set the container aside for few minutes. Mix the yeast mixture to the flour mixture well; and set the container side for 1-2 hours depending on the room temperature. The volume of the dough mixture should be at least doubled when it is completely raised. Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder to the flour mixture, and quickly and completely mix it with the flour mixture. See the step by step picture below.



2. Steaming: Use 11 inch steamer. Add code tap water to the steamer pan to half way full. Cover the steamer with coffee paper (or cheese cloth), and wet the coffee paper with tap water. Pour the flour mixture to the steamer, and sprinkle the raisin on the top of the steamer. Steam 20 - 25 minutes after the water is boiling with high temperature. See the picture below for the Steamed product - Soft Steamed Bun.



Note: * You can use cold water for raising the flour mixture, it will longer time for raising flour.