Chinese courgette pancakes
Grated courgette supplies the moisture for these Chinese savoury pancakes. Eggs and flour hold the strands together, so there is no need to squeeze the vegetable dry.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Rest / wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 33 min
- Makes
- Makes 6 small pancakes
Your new skill: Using vegetable moisture to make pancake batter
For a little background, read Can a menu word tell you how food was cooked?.
Your ingredients
Get ready: Kitchen scales, chopping board, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and a suitable saucepan or frying pan.
- 280 g courgette
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground Sichuan pepper or white pepper
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 65 g plain flour
- 1–2 tbsp neutral oil for frying
- Dip: 1 tbsp black rice vinegar and 1 small minced garlic clove
- Chilli oil to taste, optional
Let’s make it
-
Let the courgette do its thing
Coarsely grate the courgette. Mix with spring onion, salt and pepper, then leave for 10 minutes. Keep the liquid that appears: it is part of the batter.
-
Stir the batter
Beat in the eggs and sesame oil. Add flour in three additions, stirring until you have a thick batter with no dry pockets.
-
Fry small pancakes
Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spoon in six small pancakes in batches, spreading them thinly. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, until golden and the egg batter is cooked through. Small pancakes are much easier to flip.
-
Make a quick dip
Stir the vinegar and garlic together, adding optional chilli oil. Serve alongside the hot pancakes. A slightly wonky circle still tastes excellent.
What to try next
Try Marbled tea eggs or Mango and coconut sago cups for your next kitchen project.
Keeping it: Cool leftovers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Eat within 48 hours, reheating only once until steaming hot throughout.
