Fancy Salted Vegetable and Meat Pancake

Filling and seasonings: Measure all the seasonings, and chop the pickled vegetables (sour cabbage) finely. Cut the green onions into sections and shred the ginger, then add half a bowl of water and knead until slightly green. Let it sit for 10 minutes to make green onion and ginger water.

Dough ingredients: 50 grams of all-purpose flour, 100 grams of glutinous rice flour, and millet paste are the main ingredients of the dough, while 2 grams of purple sweet potato powder and 20 grams of glutinous rice flour are decorative ingredients. Method for making millet paste: Cook millet into porridge, then blend it into a paste using a high-speed blender.

Mix 2 grams of purple sweet potato powder with 20 grams of glutinous rice flour and a little water to form a paste (I added too much water here, you can add less). Use a spatula to help sieve it, removing any particles that don't dissolve. Steam until cooked, then sprinkle with glutinous rice flour (not included in the recipe) and roll into a thin sheet. Cut out petal shapes and set aside. This step can be skipped if you don’t care about the appearance.

Minced pork with white granulated sugar, a large spoon of Weidamei first-press naturally brewed soy sauce, mixed evenly; gradually add 1 large spoon of scallion-ginger water, stir in one direction until it becomes sticky, then add the second spoon and stir the same way until sticky; add chopped pickled (sour) vegetables, mix evenly; finally add 15 grams of corn oil and mix well to lock in the moisture.

The prepared filling is in the state shown in the picture.

Mix 100 grams of glutinous rice flour with 50 grams of all-purpose flour in a large bowl; slowly pour in the millet paste, making sure not to pour it all at once. Stir while pouring until it reaches the consistency shown in figure ②; knead into a soft and smooth dough, which will be slightly sticky to the touch; roll into a long strip and divide into 10 portions (fewer if the pieces are large, more if small), then cover with plastic wrap to keep moist.

Take a piece of dough and knead it repeatedly until it is slightly sticky. Dust your hands with flour and roll it into a ball, then use your index finger to poke a hole. Fill it with pickled vegetable and meat filling—if your skill is good, use more filling; if not, use less. Use both hands together: rotate the small glutinous rice ball with your left hand, and squeeze the opening closed with the space between your thumb and index finger of your right hand. Flatten the sealed side down. PS: If you don’t know how to seal it, you can go to my homepage or public account “Meiji” and search for 'Celebrating Lantern Festival: Making Tangyuan' for detailed instructions.

Brush a layer of clear water on the surface of the flat cake, and attach the carved petals to the surface of the flat cake for decoration; this step can be omitted if appearance is not a concern.

Line the steamer with parchment paper, place the raw pancakes in it, making sure to leave some space to prevent sticking. Once the water is boiling, put the steamer over it and steam on high heat for 10–12 minutes.

In the bright spring of March, fresh flowers bloom on my dining table, pleasing to the eye and also delicious to taste. Isn't it delightful?