Two very simple ways to make a decadent cold Chinese dish, that is a favorite street food on hot summer days. Enjoy with a cool beverage, such as a Sour Plum Juice.
One of the most popular snacks in China is Liangpi (cold skin noodles).
It is soft, moist, sour and spicy, delicious and filling! It is loved by men and women, young and old, and especially popular with young women.
Especially in the streets of China’s big cities, you often see people selling this dish, and sometimes you can’t help but buy a bowl. It tastes so delicious!
Where did liangpi come from?
The Qin State has been producing high-quality rice since ancient times, and is said to be royal tribute when Emperor Qin Shi Huang was born.
One year, there was a drought and there was no rice. Qin had harsh laws and the villagers were afraid of punishment and asked for advice on how to handle the drought.
On the next day, they gathered all of the rice they had stored. The old rice was soaked overnight, stoned into a slurry, dried out, steamed on a grate, and seasoned with various spices.
Qin Shi Huang had tasted soft and smooth, hot and sour and delicious Linagpi. Because of this, they forgave the taxes on the region and appointed Liangpi as royal food.
Below are some pictures of various forms of Liangpi in China.
In this recipe, we are going to introduce two methods of preparing Liangpi.
The first approach is a bit simpler, and the cold dough has a gluten-like taste.
The second approach is also not complicated, but contains a few more steps. The smooth and delicate skin is similar to that of the same dish sold on the market.
Although the taste of Liangpi is made different by different preparation methods, I can tell you with certainty that no Liangpi is bad, and is always a great snack!
Now, let’s begin to look at how to make this delicious dish:
Smooth and delicate dough, coupled with all kinds of spices and flavors is very pleasant. Especially in summer, because it is served cool, it is very refreshing and it will inevitably lead to a full stomach.
Ingredients for dough:
- 250 grams of High-gluten flour
- 325 grams of Water. (The ratio of flour to water is approximately 1:1.5, which can be very slightly adjusted to get the correct texture of batter)
Other Ingredients for Dish:
- 1) 1 Cucumber
- 2) 20g of Corn starch
- 3) light Soy sauce to Taste
- 4) 1 tsp of Salt
- 5) 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 6) A splash of Vinegar
- 7) A splash of Chili Oil
- 8) 1 Clove of Garlic
- 9) About ¼ cup of Roasted Peanuts
The above amount of ingredients serves 2-3 people, and Liang pi should not stored overnight, so it is recommended not to make too much at one time.
Method:
Step 1: In a bowl, add the flour, corn starch and salt. (Using high-gluten flour and adding corn starch or sweet potato starch, can increase the gloss of the Liangpi)
Step 2: Pour the water in slowly, and use a whisk to stir. (Do not pour the water in all at once, which will result in uneven batter mixing and poor control of the consistency of the batter.)
Step 3: Mix the batter with the whisk in one direction. Until the batter became smooth and no cheeks were found, it took about ten minutes. (The prepared batter is picked up with a spoon and pours it down slowly. It can be connected in a continuous line.)
Step 4: Pour the batter through a sifter into another bowl to remove and undissolved pieces.
Step 5: Brush a thin layer of oil on the round baking sheet.
Step 6: Ladle a small amount just to coat the bottom of the pan.
Step 7: Rotate the pan around with both hands to evenly cover the pan.
Step 8: Boil a pot of water, use the style of tongs show below to gently lower the pan in, and cover (Be sure to cover, the steam can maintain the moisture so the skin at the end will not be dry).
Step 9: Cook the batter until it becomes transparent and remove the pan and carefully place into cold water. (Be sure to use medium heat instead of a low heat. Low heat will crack the cold skin.)
Step 10: After letting cool, gently peel off the skin.
Step 11: Fold the dough from the outsides toward the middle and cut into strips.
Step 12: Wash cucumbers and cut.
Step 13: Crush the roasted peanuts.
Step 14: In a small bowl, mix the peanuts, light soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and a little chili oil, and pour the sauce on the cold skin.
Didn’t it feel simple? Let’s take a look at how to make another version.
Ingredients:(Serves 2 people to eat)
- 1) 250 grams of High-gluten flour
- 2) 125 grams of Water
Procedure:
Step 1: As before, add the flour, corn starch, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2: Add water slowly and stir into a dough (this is different than before, as this portion will not turn into a batter.)
Step 3: Continue adding water while kneading until the dough begins to look like the picture below. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: With the dough outside of the bowl, add water, then place the dough in the water, and rub it repeatedly with both hands.
Step 5: Wash the dough until the water turns white, the dough will feel much softer and moist at this point.
Step 6: Place this dough into a steamer and steam for about 15 minutes and take it out to cool.
Step 7: After a few hours, the water we used to wash the dough will begin to separate in the bowl.
Step 8: Slowly pour the top layer, which is just water, out of the bowl, then sift. Then whisk what is left until it looks like the batter from the first method.
Step 9: Brush a thin layer of oil on the pan and just enough batter to coat the bottom.
Step 10: Roll the pan around until the batter evenly covers the bottom.
Step 11: Boil water like before, gently place the pan in, and then cover.
Step 12: Heat until the batter becomes translucent and put the pan into cold water to cool.
Step 13: After letting cool, gently peel off the skin.
Step 14: Fold the dough toward the middle and cut into strips.
Step 15: Cut the cucumber the same way, and the steamed dough from before into small pieces.
Step 16: Crush the roasted nuts.
Step 17: In a small bowl, add the nuts, stir in light soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and a little chili oil, and pour the sauce on the cold skin.
Tips
High-gluten flour has darker color and higher gluten content. Protein content above 11.5% can be called high-gluten flour and is suitable for making bread and some pastry-like desserts.
The medium-gluten flour is white in color, between high-gluten and low-gluten flour, and is commonly used in Chinese dim sum, such as steamed buns, steamed bread, and noodles. These flours, which are generally commercially available, can be considered as medium-gluten flours.
Low-gluten flour has a whiter color. After mixing the water, it can be easily picked up by hand. Suitable for cakes, sponge cakes, and biscuits.
The cold skin cannot be preserved overnight. After a night, the cold skin will harden, becoming brittle, and have no toughness or texture.
Liangpi can be served with cucumber, bean sprouts, carrots, and other side dishes.
Liang Pi Recipe – Two Step By Step Methods
Ingredients
- Ingredients for dough:
- 250 grams High-gluten flour
- 325 grams Water. The ratio of flour to water is approximately 1:1.5, which can be very slightly adjusted to get the correct texture of batter
Other Ingredients for Dish:
- 1 Cucumber
- 20 g Corn starch
- light Soy sauce to Taste
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- A splash of Vinegar
- A splash of Chili Oil
- 1 Clove Garlic
- ¼ cup Roasted Peanuts
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the flour, corn starch and salt. (Using high-gluten flour and adding corn starch or sweet potato starch, can increase the gloss of the Liangpi)
- Pour the water in slowly, and use a whisk to stir. (Do not pour the water in all at once, which will result in uneven batter mixing and poor control of the consistency of the batter.)
- Mix the batter with the whisk in one direction. Until the batter became smooth and no cheeks were found, it took about ten minutes. (The prepared batter is picked up with a spoon and pours it down slowly. It can be connected in a continuous line.)
- Pour the batter through a sifter into another bowl to remove and undissolved pieces.
- Brush a thin layer of oil on the round baking sheet.
- Ladle a small amount just to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Rotate the pan around with both hands to evenly cover the pan.
- Boil a pot of water, use the style of tongs show below to gently lower the pan in, and cover (Be sure to cover, the steam can maintain the moisture so the skin at the end will not be dry).
- Cook the batter until it becomes transparent and remove the pan and carefully place into cold water. (Be sure to use medium heat instead of a low heat. Low heat will crack the cold skin.)
- After letting cool, gently peel off the skin.
- Fold the dough from the outsides toward the middle and cut into strips.
- Wash cucumbers and cut.
- Crush the roasted peanuts.
- In a small bowl, mix the peanuts, light soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and a little chili oil, and pour the sauce on the cold skin.
