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Derived from the native cooking styles of Shaanxi Province and parts of northwestern China, Shaanxi cuisine’s cooking methods mainly are steaming, frying and stir-frying with heavy use of strong and complex flavours that include both the sour and spicy of Sichuan and the salty flavours of Shanxi. Though the taste of Shaanxi cuisine can be quite spicy, you should try your hands on Guo Kui if you are game for it for the first time.
Guo kui is a round crispy stuffed flatbread that weighs about 2.5 kg and is about a foot long in diameter and an inch in thickness. As per Shaanxi traditions, it is considered one of the "Eight Oddities of Guanzhong" and is presented as a gift by a grandmother to her grandson when he turns one month old.
If you are craving some savoury flavours this Wednesday, enjoy drooling over Shaanxi cuisine with this recipe of Guo Kui which is a scrumptiously stuffed flatbread that is crunchy on the outside with a delicious filling on the inside. Check out Guo Kui’s recipe here that makes 6 flatbreads.
Ingredients for dough:
300 g all-purpose flour,
125g room temperature water,
50g hot water,
½ teaspoon salt,
1 tablespoon oil
Ingredients for filling:
1 can [15oz] chickpeas drained, rinsed, chopped,
2½ tablespoons soy sauce,
1 teaspoon sugar,
A pinch of Chinese 5-spice powder, salt, and pepper to taste
Other ingredients:
6 stalks green onion (chopped),
raw white sesame seeds,
oil
Method for dough:
Mix all the dough ingredients together and knead into a smooth dough, rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 6 balls and rub each ball with oil and rest again on a greased pan for at least 30 minutes.
Method for filling:
Sauté chickpeas in a drizzle of oil and season. Dish out and divide it into 6 equal parts.
Method for assembling:
Brush some oil on a cleaned surface, then roll dough into a thin oblong sheet. Place chickpeas and chopped green onions on top and roll into a cylinder. Let it rest while you work on the rest of the dough.
Then, flatten each with minimal pressure into a disc. Wet one side with water and then dip it with raw sesame seeds. To cook the Guo Kui, preheat a non-stick pan with 3- 4 tablespoons oil, then turn heat to low.
Take one prepared dough and flatten it again in between your palms. Pan fry until golden brown over very low heat on each side for about 5 to 7 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F (190°C) and place pan-fried Guo Kui on a baking sheet pan.
Bake them in a preheated oven for ~20 minutes. Serve warm with a side of chili sauce.
Benefits:
Apart from containing protein which aides bone, muscle and skin health, chickpeas also contain other nutrients which help prevent a number of health conditions. They can be included in a healthful diabetes meal plan, help manage blood pressure, support heart health, help protect the body from cancer and also have a positive impact on brain and nervous system function.
