Quantcast
The Curious Coconut / TheCuriousCoconut.com

NYC-Style Chinese Scallion Pancakes (Paleo, AIP option)

NYC-style Chinese Scallion Pancake (Paleo, AIP option, Vegan)
NYC-Style Chinese Scallion Pancakes (Paleo, Vegan, AIP option) // TheCuriousCoconut.com

My husband, Andy, was born and raised in Brooklyn by Puerto Rican parents - he's a Nuyorican. For those first 20-something years of life he lived in NYC he ate all the foods....gluten, dairy, didn't matter.

He's been Paleo right alongside me since 2010 because, like me, it makes him feel so much better. But sometimes he misses his favorite quintessential NYC foods. I made bagels for him, but he recently gave me a list of other foods he'd love to enjoy as gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo options.

I'm talking about: chicken parm (PERFECT way to use my melty, stretchy tapioca cheese), black and white cookies, street cart style pretzels, halal chicken with white sauce, pork buns....

And these. NYC-style Chinese scallion pancakes. 

Oh my gawd, y'all. These are TOO. DARN. DELICIOUS. And very easy to make, making them a lil' bit dangerous. 

Like so many of my mouth-watering Paleo and AIP versions of your favorite foods, these scallion pancakes are made possible thanks to the magic of Otto's Cassava Flour, who so generously sponsored the development of this recipe for y'all! For more of my delicious recipes using this flour, click here

#OnlyOttos Paleo Scallion Pancakes

Otto's Cassava Flour: all-purpose Paleo & AIP flour

Otto's Cassava Flour is my favorite all-purpose Paleo, gluten-free, and AIP flour. In this case (and this is often true for other recipes) it is a 1:1 replacement for white flour. 

I love recipes that only need ONE gluten-free flour - don't you? It makes a big difference to only need to measure one thing out, and I also think it makes recipes more foolproof.....the more flours blended together, the more room for error. 

If you aren't already familiar with Otto's cassava flour, it is derived from the yuca root (also known as cassava, manioc, mandioca) and it is the whole root, dried and ground into a flour.

Tapioca starch also comes from the yuca root but is the extracted starch. The two are NOT interchangeable (think of them like cornmeal and cornstarch, or potato flour and potato starch). 

Paleo Scallion Pancakes with spicy dipping sauce

Eating Scallion Pancakes in NYC

My husband has fond memories of eating scallion pancakes at a Chinese restaurant called Ollie's. It is right across the street from Columbia University (where he worked) in the Upper West Side and was the first taste of Chinatown in the neighborhood. He and his coworkers would go there often for lunch. 

It's also where he had his most exciting celebrity sighting his entire time living in NYC: Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation! Aka John de Lancie. So he has all sorts of fond memories attached to this dish :-)

I just love watching his face light up when I feed him a dish he's requested. He said the flavor and texture were completely spot on and took him back to his NYC days as he happily crunched away. 

paleo aip gluten-free scallion pancakes

How To Assemble Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Scallion pancakes are not like the sweet pancakes you eat for breakfast. Rather, they are a savory appetizer and they are made from a dough, not a batter. They are a type of laminated pastry like croissants and phyllo. That just means that the dough contains many thin layers with fat in between each one. Those layers = flaky, crisp insides. 

Thankfully these are nowhere near as complicated or time-consuming as croissants and the dough doesn't need time to sit or chill.

The dough requires you to use VERY HOT water for it to come together properly. At first, it will be quite shaggy, but once you knead it with your hands it becomes super smooth and easy to work into a ball. 

To achieve the multiple layers with scallion pancakes, you first roll it into a flat circle, apply oil, then roll it up like a jelly roll to make a log, then twist it around itself into a spiral. Then, roll it out flat again, oil again, add scallions, and roll it up like a jelly roll again, twist it again, then flatten one final time to fry.

It's so much easier to grasp if you can see the process in action, so here is a photo walkthrough: 

Step 1: make a shaggy dough with VERY HOT/BOILING water

otto's cassava scallion pancake dough

Step 2: Stir with a spoon until cool enough to work the dough with your hands. Knead until a smooth dough forms and make a ball. If it's too sticky, work a dusting of flour into it. 

smooth ball of paleo scallion pancake dough

Step 3: Roll the dough out into a very thin disc about 6-7 inches across. If at any point it's too sticky, you can dust some cassava flour on your surface/rolling pin.

Paleo scallion pancake rolled out

Step 4: Brush with 1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil (or avocado oil/melted lard or schmaltz for AIP)

oiling the paleo scallion pancake

Step 5: Roll up the dough like a jelly roll to form a log. 

rolling a scallion pancake like a jelly roll

Step 6: Twist the log around itself to make a spiral

twisting scallion pancake into spiral

Step 7: roll it out again into a flat disc, brush with another 1/4 tsp oil, and fill with 3-4 tbsp of sliced green scallions

scallion pancake ready to roll up

Step 8: Carefully roll up like a jelly roll again, stuffing any scallions that fall out back in. Once it is rolled, pinch the ends closed to secure the scallions.

rolling up stuffed scallion pancake

Step 9: Carefully twist into a spiral, doing your best to keep the scallions contained (it's ok if some poke through the dough, it's inevitable). 

stuffed scallion pancake ready to flatten

Step 10: Flatten one more time into a pancake about 5 inches across (it may be easier to do with your hands vs a rolling pin at this stage).

paleo and aip scallion pancake ready to fry

This whole process takes about 10 minutes from start to finish, and then frying them up takes about 8-10 minutes more. It's important to use plenty of fat in the frying pan and maintain medium heat while frying so that they turn out light and crispy, not heavy and chewy. This is true even if you're using white flour and not cassava flour!

Tips & Tricks For Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Measure Otto's Cassava Flour and water by weight, not volume. This ensures accuracy and easy reproducibility! Never dig your measuring cup into the bag to measure cassava flour because it packs it down and you will end up with WAY too much flour. 

You can pick up a kitchen scale for $10-$20 on Amazon, I have this one and it's as indispensable in my kitchen as my cutting board. Place a bowl on top, turn it on to tare it (so it reads zero with the bowl there) and then add your ingredients. 

FOR THE WATER it's easier to measure the weight before heating it, so you aren't trying to accurately weigh very hot water!

Frying temperature and amount of fat matters. You want to use a solidly medium temp with enough fat in the pan. You'll need to add more fat after frying the first pancake. Use the smallest frying pan you've got (that fits the pancake) for best results.

On my electric stove, I heat the fat at 5 but then have to slightly reduce the heat to 4.5-4 as it cooks so it doesn't get too hot, as indicated by smoking/excessive sputtering/blackening of the dough rather than browning. 

As written, this serves 2. Simply scale up if you're feeding a crowd or want to freeze some for later. **I am currently testing the best method for freezing/reheating so stay tuned for an update!**

If you're looking for a low-carb, keto option for delicious scallion pancakes, check out this recipe by my friend ChihYu from I Heart Umami. 

otto's cassava flour scallion pancakes

NYC-Style Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Amanda Torres @ TheCuriousCoconut.com

Published 03/14/2018

Crispy and flaky, these NYC-style Chinese scallion pancakes taste just like the real thing but without gluten or grain thanks to Otto's Cassava Flour!

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
  • 60 grams Otto's Cassava Flour (approx. 1/2 cup scooped and leveled)
  • 1/4 tsp unrefined salt
  • 70 grams water (1/4 cup + 2 tsp)
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil (for AIP, use melted chicken schmaltz, duck fat, or non-hydrogenated lard)
  • about 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green part only of about 8 green onions)
  • 1.5 tbsp fat for frying (lard or avocado oil recommended)
Spicy Sesame Dipping Sauce (Paleo) Sweet Ginger Dipping Sauce (AIP)
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp coconut vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 tsp unrefined sweetener (coconut sugar, sucanat)
  • 1 tbsp scallion slices

Instructions

  1. Bring water to a boil. Measure the cassava flour. If you are measuring by volume (NOT RECOMMENDED), be sure to use a spoon to drop it into the measuring cup and use a knife to sweep the top. Sprinkle the salt in the flour.
  2. Carefully add the very hot water to the flour and stir with a spoon to form a shaggy dough. Once cool enough to handle, knead with your hands to work it into a smooth dough that is easy to form into a ball. If the dough is too sticky work a dusting of extra cassava flour into it. Divide dough into 2 portions and roll each into a ball.
  3. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a very thin discc about 6-7 inches across. (SEE PHOTOS ABOVE)
  4. Brush with 1/4 tsp of toasted sesame oil (or alternative fat if AIP)
  5. Roll up the dough like a jelly roll to form a log. 
  6. Twist the log around itself to make a spiral.
  7. Roll it out again into a flat disc, brush with another 1/4 tsp oil, and fill with 3-4 tbsp of sliced green scallions.
  8. Carefully roll up like a jelly roll again, stuffing any scallions that fall out back in. Once it is rolled, pinch the ends closed to secure the scallions.
  9. Carefully twist into a spiral, doing your best to keep the scallions contained (it's ok if some poke through the dough, it's inevitable). 
  10. Flatten one more time into a pancake about 5 inches across (it may be easier to do with your hands vs a rolling pin at this stage). Repeat the process with the other half of the dough to make a second pancake.
  11. Heat 1 tbsp of you frying fat over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes to get it good and hot, but not smoking. Carefully slip the pancake in and cook a total of about 8-10 minutes, flipping every 2-3 minutes, until it is browned and crispy on both sides. Add the remaining fat to the pan and cook the 2nd pancake.
  12. To serve, cut each pancake into 6 slices (like a pizza) and dip with your sauce of choice.
  13. To make the sauce(s), simply add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir.

Yield: 2 pancakes (serves 2)

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Total time: 20 mins.

Tags: Paleo, AIP, Otto's Cassava Flour, Chinese food, NYC food, sesame oil, scallion pancake


Recommended Tools & Ingredients

These are affiliate links that earn me a very small commission when you purchase through them. I only recommend products that I use and trust in my own home!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
FTC Disclosure: We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs. We only recommend and endorse products we use ourselves. All opinions are our own and not influenced by participation in affiliate programs.

Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The content on this blog is not to be considered an alternative for medical advice and the author strongly urges you to discuss any concerns with a qualified medical practitioner. Use of recommendations from this site is at the choice and risk of the reader. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
I expect you, the reader, are making any recipe on this website or in my books at your own risk. I, Amanda Torres and/or The Curious Coconut, am not liable or responsible for adverse reactions to food consumed such as food poisoning and any kind of food-borne disease, misinterpreted recipes, domestic accidents, including but not limited to fires, cuts, bodily injuries, and messes in the kitchen. The recipes presented are intended for use by persons having appropriate technical skill, at their own discretion and risk.
Full disclosure and privacy policies HERE.