Spicy Stir-Fried Flatbread
A rustic northern Chinese street-style dish featuring chewy flatbread strips tossed with aromatic spices, dried chilies, and fresh garlic scapes. Simple to make and deeply satisfying.
Story
This humble dish transforms plain flatbread into something extraordinary. The key is getting those bread strips nicely golden and slightly crispy on the edges while absorbing all the spicy, aromatic flavors.
Ingredients
Flatbread (unleavened)
300g
Dried red chilies
4-5 pieces
Garlic scapes
4-5 stalks
Vegetable oil
3 tablespoons
Cumin powder
1 teaspoon
Five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon
Salt
to taste
Black pepper
to taste
Instructions
1
Prep the ingredients
Cut the flatbread into thin strips, about half a centimeter wide. Snip the dried chilies in half (or leave whole if you prefer milder heat). Cut the garlic scapes into 5cm segments.
2
Bloom the spices
Heat oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Add cumin and five-spice powder, stir briefly until fragrant—about 10 seconds. Toss in the dried red chilies and watch them sizzle and turn glossy. Work quickly here; you don't want them to burn.
3
Stir-fry the bread
Add the flatbread strips immediately. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss everything together and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the bread edges turn golden and slightly crisp. The strips should look oil-coated and shiny.
4
Finish with garlic scapes
Toss in the garlic scapes and continue cooking for another minute until they're slightly wilted but still retain some crunch. Serve hot straight from the wok.
