Ingredients
- 200g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp all spice powder
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 6 Chinese pancakes
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
- 1/4 cabbage, shredded
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
Vegetarian Chinese Pancakes
Made with mushrooms, Vegetarian Chinese Pancakes are a great substitute for Peking duck-filled pancakes. They’re fast and fun to make, and great as an appetizer for a large dinner party, as everyone can assemble their own.
Method
Heat a small frying pan and the sesame oil on high heat. Add the mushrooms, soy sauce, all spice (aka: five spice) powder, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Once browned, turn the heat down, and stir until the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is thick and coats the mushroom pieces.
Steam the pancakes over a steamer. You can buy good quality, ready-made Chinese pancake bases at your closest Asian grocer.
Serve the mushrooms, spring onions, fennel, cabbage and hoisin sauce in separate dishes, along with the pancakes.
To assemble, spread a pancake with a little hoisin sauce. Add mushrooms, spring onions, cabbage and fennel. Fold the pancake and enjoy!
For a Summer version of this Vegetarian Chinese Pancakes recipe, switch cabbage and fennel back to cucumber and lettuce.
Tips and Tricks
Store Mushrooms unwashed in a brown paper bag – the bag absorbs excess moisture and prevents the mushrooms from going soggy or mouldy.
Avoid placing mushrooms near foods with strong odours or flavours, they will absorb them like a sponge!
To avoid wasting fennel, try pickling it to make a delicious condiment: finely slice your bulbs, blanch for a few minutes in salty water, drain, dry and pack into a sterilised jar. Simmer enough vinegar to cover it, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds, peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves.