This recipe has a lot going for it: it’s quick (or, at least, quicker than many of the meals I cook), it’s easy, and it’s got some of my favorite vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage!). I also love Asian flavors, and the flavors of the ginger, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce here are a great way to showcase the flavors of the veggies. The moo shu pancakes are surprisingly easy to make, even though I was initially suspicious of the technique of rolling out two pancakes together (with oil inbetween) – it worked out perfectly, and I had no problem peeling the pancakes apart after they’d cooked. And if you’re feeling a little lazier, you can buy moo shu pancakes instead of making your own, use tortillas, or even make lettuce wraps (making these a little lighter and adding a nice crispness).
Moo Shu Vegetables
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten with a splash of soy sauce
- 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
- 2 – 3 carrots, shredded
- 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2″ piece ginger, minced
- 1 hot pepper, minced (optional)
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 moo shu pancakes (see below)
- hoisin sauce
Method:
- In a large wok, heat 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 3 eggs, lightly beaten with a splash of soy sauce and let cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is solid. Flip and let the other side solidify. Remove to a plate and cut into strips.
- In the same wok, add another 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat. Add 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, sliced and cook until they soften and release their juices. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add 1/2 head cabbage, chopped to the wok and sautee until the cabbage has wilted. Add 2 – 3 carrots, shredded and stir in. Clear a space in the middle of the wok, adding more vegetable oil if needed, and add 2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2″ piece ginger, minced, and 1 hot pepper, minced, and sautee until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Lower the heat slightly, and add the egg strips and shiitake mushrooms back to the pan, along with 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, and stir thoroughly to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve by heaping one of 8 moo shu pancakes with about 1/8th of the filling and dotting with hoisin sauce.
Moo Shu Pancakes (adapted from Branny Boils Over)
Yield: 8 pancakes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- sesame oil*
*You can substitute vegetable oil here if you’d like.
Method:
- Put 2 cups all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl, and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Mix with a fork until combined. Let cool.
- Once the dough is cool to the touch, knead the dough in the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes until soft and smooth.
- Form the dough into a rope and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then flatten with the palm of your hand, and set aside.
- Take one flattened disk of dough and brush it thoroughly with sesame oil. Place it oiled side up on your rolling surface, and top with another flattened disk of dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large, thin circle approximately 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick. Repeat, making three more pairs of two pancakes each.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over low heat, then place one of the four (paired) pancakes in the pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side; you should see the middle of the pancake pair puff a bit, and the sesame oil will be fragrant.
- Place in a covered casserole dish and set aside, then repeat with the remaining pancake pairs.
- Let cool approximately 5 minutes, after which they should be soft and moist enough to be easily pulled apart. Keep them covered (to retain moisture) in a warm oven until ready to serve.
