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Tianjin guobacai
Guōbacài (锅巴菜): Tianjin crêpe strips in spiced gravy with sesame paste and fermented tofu
Guobacai is pure Tianjin: at breakfast stalls in the city, thin crêpes of mung bean and millet are cut into strips and drowned in a thick, glossy gravy scented with star anise, then dressed with sesame paste, fermented bean curd sauce, chilli oil and coriander. It is eaten with a spoon alongside a jianbing or a fried dough stick. The common mistake is a watery gravy; it should be thick enough to cling to the strips like a sauce. Chef's tip: dry the crêpes for an hour, or overnight, before cutting; slightly firm strips keep their bite in the hot gravy.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the crêpes
- 3 ½ oz mung bean flour
- 1 ¾ oz millet flour
- 1 cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp neutral oil
For the gravy
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ¾ in fresh gingersliced
- 2 spring onionchopped
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 ½ cups water or vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp potato starchmixed with 6 tbsp cold water
To dress
- 2 tbsp Chinese sesame pasteloosened with 2 tbsp water
- 1 cube fermented bean curd (furu)mashed with 1 tbsp of its liquid
- 1 tbsp chilli oil
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ½ oz mung bean flour, 1 ¾ oz millet flour, 1 cup water and ¼ tsp salt into a smooth, thin batter.
Step 2: Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat, wipe with 2 tsp neutral oil and pour in a thin ladle of batter, swirling to coat. Cook for 2 minutes until it peels away from the edge, flip for 30 seconds, and repeat to make 5–6 crêpes. Leave to dry for at least 30 minutes, then cut into 2 cm strips.
15 minStep 3: For the gravy, heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry 2 star anise, ¾ in fresh ginger and 2 spring onion for 1 minute until fragrant.
1 minStep 4: Add 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 2 ½ cups water or vegetable stock, simmer for 5 minutes, then strain out the aromatics.
5 minStep 5: Bring back to the boil, stir in 3 tbsp potato starch and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy like gravy.
2 minStep 6: Divide the strips between bowls, ladle over the hot gravy and finish with 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste, 1 cube fermented bean curd (furu), 1 tbsp chilli oil and 2 tbsp fresh coriander. Eat at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tianjin guobacai take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of star anise?
- ½ tsp aniseeds or fennel seeds per star.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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