Legend has it that the fabled Three Kingdoms (220 - 280 AD) tactician Zhuge Liang ordered his troops to cook dough on their shields after they had lost their woks. The resultant dish is what we now know as jian bing guo zi (煎饼馃子), a griddled crepe, laminated with egg and aromatics, slathered with savoury-sweet sauces, then stuffed with homemade youtiao.

As portable and endlessly customisable as this Chinese breakfast burrito is, it surely stands at the pinnacle of Asian breakfast street foods. You can recreate it at home, not with a shield, but with your BRUNO Hotplate!    

Delving into the deets

Sauce selection

The most traditional sauces JBGZ sauces are a combination of Hunan-style chilli garlic sauce (蒜蓉辣酱) and sweet soybean paste/ hoisin sauce, hence those are what we used in this recipe. However, several other spreadable condiments have seen popularity including:  

• Fermented beancurd paste 
• Black bean chilli oil
• Unsweetened soybean paste
• Mayonnaise
• Thai sweet chilli sauce

Content choice

Our favorite fillings for JBGZ were homemade youtiao and chicken floss, hence these are what we used, but other common choices for JBGZ stuffers are,

• Fried wonton skins
• Romaine lettuce leaves
• Taiwan sausage
• Stewed or stir-fried meat

Recipe (makes 6 small Jian Bing Guo Zi)

Steps

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the plain flour, multigrain flour, cornflour, mung bean flour, and baking soda. Then pour the water in and mix with a whisk until fully incorporated. 
2. Heat up your BRUNO hotplate equipped with its flat plate on the MED heat setting for 1 minute. 
3. Apply some oil to the hotplate and pour 1 ladle of the JBGZ batter onto the cooktop. Spread out and flatten the batter with the bottom of the ladle to attain a large flat and circular crepe. 
4. Crack an egg onto the crepe as it cooks. With a silicone spatula, break the yolk and spread it over the top of the crepe for better eggy coverage. 
5. When the egg is par-cooked, sprinkle it with a pinch of sesame seeds, and a handful of coriander and spring onions. These should adhere to the egg, and you can flip the JBGZ over with a spatula.   
6. Spoon 1 tsp of garlic chilli sauce and 1 tsp of sweet bean sauce onto the surface of the crepe. At this point, you can also add any other desired sauces (see above) and spread them over the pancake’s surface with the back of a spoon. 
7. Now, use a pair of tongs fold over ⅓ of the crepe, place the youtiao on the folded section, and top it with the chicken floss and any other fillings you want to include.   
8. Roll up your JBGZ the rest of the way and serve while hot

While a plastic bag is the traditional serving vessel, feel free to use a plate, but eating with hands is non-negotiable! Enjoy~