Name: Spring Onion Cakes
Yield: Serves 6 for Lunch; 12 as a First Course and 24 as Hors D’oeuvres
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: salt; 105–142.5 ml (7–9½ tbsp) peanut or vegetable oil for frying; about 350 g (12 oz) spring onions, trimmed and cut into small rounds; about 90 ml (6 tbsp) sesame oil; 15 ml (1 tbsp) cold water; 5–10 ml (1–2 tsp) sesame oil; 550 g (1¼ lb/5 cups) plain white flour; 350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) boiling water

Preparation info

Serves
6
for Lunch

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Food of China

By Yan-Kit So

Published 1992

About

One of Peking’s best-known ‘small eats’, ‘oily spring onion cakes’ are actually quite easy to make. As a warming winter food against the biting wind, they were traditionally made with lard or duck fat which, being so cholesterol laden, would deprive any of us who are health-conscious of the pleasure of eating them. I therefore use sesame oil in this recipe so that we can feel free to enjoy them.

I have kept faith, however, with the traditional technique of frying or sautéing the spr