Ji Dan Bing: The Chinese Breakfast of Champions
Ji dan Bing is a popular Chinese breakfast street food made with a thinly rolled dough and egg fried together. Tasty flavor agents like herbs, sweet bean sauce, chili bean sauce, and chili oil are slathered over the top, and the whole thing is rolled around a piece of crunchy romaine lettuce!
Servings: 4 pancakes
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (170 grams)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm water
- vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- Sweet bean sauce (甜面酱 - Tian Mian Jiang)
- Hot chili bean sauce (豆瓣酱 - Dou Ban Jiang)
- Hot chili oil
- Toasted sesame seeds
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- 1 handful cilantro (finely chopped, optional)
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce (washed and dried)
Instructions
- Mix together the flour, salt, and ½ cup of warm water with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms--about 2-3 minutes. The dough should be sticky, but should also come together in a ball. Coat the dough with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and cover with plastic wrap so it is completely sealed. Allow to rest for 1 hour.
- After the dough has rested, ready the other ingredients--this will be the filling of the Ji Dan Bing. Next, divide the dough into four equal portions, drizzling additional vegetable oil on the dough and your hands to prevent it from sticking. The dough will be less sticky after resting, but it should still be quite moist.
- Next, lightly coat your rolling surface and rolling pin with oil, but if you feel things sticking. Most street vendors use a stainless steel surface like you see in the video, but a marble or granite countertop or wooden cutting board will also work nicely.
- Use a standard non-tapered rolling pin for this recipe, and roll the dough out into a thin layer until it is almost translucent.
- Heat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, which should thin out and spread out easily on the skillet when it is added. The skillet should not be smoking, however!
- Lift the rolled out dough in one steady motion and place it in the pan, doing your best to lay it down in one even layer. The dough should sizzle in the skillet to indicate that your pan is hot enough.
- Immediately crack one egg in the center of the dough. Lightly beat the egg with a few strokes using a fork or your spatula, spreading it across the dough. There is no need to meticulously try to cover the entire area of the dough, and don’t worry if the egg overflows either. The dough and egg will become one!
- Drizzle another teaspoon of oil on top of your Ji Dan Bing. Flip it, and let the egg side cook for about 10 seconds, then flip it again. Let the Ji Dan Bing cook for another minute, or until parts of it are golden brown, and transfer to a cutting board or plate, egg side up.
- Spread any combination of sweet bean, hot bean sauce, and hot chili oil on the Ji Dan Bing. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top, along with scallions and cilantro--if using. Place a large leaf of romaine lettuce on top, roll up the pancake, and enjoy while it’s piping hot!