Morning Pancakes with a (Healthy) Chinese Spin

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It kind of seems like every culture has its own version of pancakes. From the fluffy endless iHop stacks in the US to cloud-like Japanese ones that are making their way around social media for being extra fluffy. The Beijing locals here have their own version as well - the humble zucchini pancakes called 糊塌子 (hú tā zi).

These are essentially savory pancakes that take minutes to whisk up from scratch and a tasty way to add a bit of veggies to your kids' breakfast for those with picky eaters.

My ayi used to make them almost every morning for my daughter and I would watch in utter shock as my toddler devours a big hutazi that's bigger than her head. Yum!

You'll notice that there are no measurements in this recipe. The way my ayi taught it to me is to "eyeball it and use your best judgment".

Ingredients

Flour

Zucchini (and carrots if you want to get a bit fancier)

1 egg

Salt, to taste

Instructions

Grate half of the zucchini, and about a third of the carrot if you're using them, and add some salt to the bowl of shredded veggies

Cover it with a damp towel and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. This will make the juices come out and make your veggies a bit soggier when you cook them which gives them a nicer texture.

PRO TIP: The longer you let it sit, the tastier it gets. 15 minutes is the minimum recommended time.

Mix in your egg to the vegetables mixture, making sure to retain all the juices.

Add in flour a dash at a time until your mixture starts looking like batter but still has a liquid consistency.

Heat your pan and spray with a bit of oil so your pancakes don't stick.

Here comes the fun part! Add the batter to the center of your pan and quickly spread it as large as you can before it solidifies. You want to try to make it as thin as possible.

It should only take a matter of seconds for the first side to cook.

Zucchini (and carrots if you want to get a bit fancier)

Once it looks like it can hold its own, flip your pancake over and cook the other side for a few seconds. Then it's done!

Images: Jerry Chan, en.beijing2008.cn, citysbs.com, blog.sina.com.cn, news.xinhuanet.com, kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com

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