These addictive green onion cakes make a crunchy snack or appetizer.
To make the dough, pour the boiling water over the flour. Stir quickly with a fork to combine. Dump the mixture onto a counter top and knead the dough until smooth. The dough will be quite firm. Place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
To roll the cakes, first divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and shape into rounds. Using a rolling pin, roll into a disc about 1/8" -inch thick. Brush lightly with vegetable oil, season well with salt and pepper, and sprinkle green onions over half of the surface. Roll the dough up like a cigar, then into a coil. Once again, roll out into a disc approximately 1/8" -inch thick, dusting with flour as needed.
To cook the cakes, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to cover its surface. When the oil is shimmering, fry each cake until golden brown; approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes longer, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
Cut into wedges and serve immediately with soy sauce, red vinegar, sambal oelek for dipping.
Keep green onion cakes on hand by storing them in the freezer. After rolling them out, stack them in between layers of plastic wrap, so they don’t stick to each other. Take out as many as you need by easily prying them apart. Thaw slightly in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds by placing the onion cakes in a single layer on paper towel. Fry and serve.