Chinese Chive Pancakes

Growing up, my mom would always make these pancakes when Chinese chives were in season, which they are right now. So when I was walking around Chinatown and saw them at the market, I found myself craving the pancakes she makes. Since I now live 3000 miles away from her, I knew that if I wanted any at all, I would have to learn to make them myself. A quick Facetime call later, I had a rough idea what I needed.

These are super easy to make and only require a few ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • Garlic chives (~1/2 lb, 2.5 cups), ends trimmed off and cut into ~1.5 inch pieces
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1 egg

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, water, egg, salt, and sugar until smooth.
  2. Add in the chopped chives and mix until incorporated. Start with ~75% of the chives and incorporate more based on your preference. I like mine jam-packed with chives.
  3. Heat up oil of choice on a non-stick pan over medium heat (I used a 10-inch pan). Scoop half the batter onto the pan, smoothing the pancake out evenly with your ladle. (Note: you can also make multiple smaller pancakes if you’d like!)
  4. Cook each side for about 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip, and do the same with the other side.
  5. Serve with soy sauce or your favorite hot sauce – my go to is sambel oelek with a bit of soy sauce. Tear at them (which I used to do as a kid) or cut them into quarters or eights for manageable servings. Enjoy!