Vegetable Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes With Vegetables)
Updated August 31, 2021
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE PANCAKES
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup potato starch (or ¼ cup each white rice flour and cornstarch)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup ice water
1 large egg
¼ cup finely chopped kimchi
4 cups finely chopped or grated mixed vegetables (carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, kale, whatever you’ve got)
4 scallions, cut into 2-inch-long sections and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil, plus more as needed
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger or garlic (optional)
½ teaspoon sesame oil, plus more to taste
Pinch of granulated sugar
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 to 4 servings)
44 grams carbs; 47 milligrams cholesterol; 295 calories; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 9 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1103 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Prepare the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, potato starch, salt and baking powder.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine water, egg and kimchi. Whisk kimchi mixture into flour mixture, and whisk until smooth. Fold in vegetables and about three-quarters of the scallions. (Save the rest for garnish.)
- Step 3
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Scoop ¼ cup portions of batter into the skillet, as many as will fit while not touching, flatten, and fry until dark golden on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue to fry until other side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a little more salt. Continue with remaining batter.
- Step 4
Before serving, make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, ginger or garlic (if using), sesame oil and sugar. Sprinkle sliced scallion over pancakes, and serve with dipping sauce on the side.
Private Notes
Comments
My family uses cornstarch and potato starch interchangeably (we're Asian). Just in case anybody didn't want to buy potato starch for a single recipe.
To make pancakes buy Beksul's Korean Pancake Mix. I found it at H Mart. It's a combination of flour, corn starch, garlic, onion and black pepper. This eliminates Step 1. It's easy to use and is authentically Korean.
I do Korean pancakes in the waffle maker - super crispy and less oil than a frypan
These went so wrong for me, I used a cup of grated zucchini and unfortunately hadn’t read the comments about cooking out some of their moisture first. I had to make these razor thin, cook them for WAY longer than suggested, and they still just felt mushy and undercooked in the middle. I was frying them for so long, I’m so confused at how it possibly wasn’t cooked?? If it wasn’t just the zucchini then I’m so confused how it went so bad!
Meh, the ramen noodle doesn't add much, and no matter how long you fry, something about this recipe doesn't lead to this really getting crispy/crunchy to the bite in the way you want it to.
These are great! I used more like 3 cups veg— chopped shishito & bell peppers plus some extra scallion. I would double the kimchi next time. I cooked on medium-high to help caramelize the veg. It’s not a quick recipe, but still good for beginners as these are hard to mess up.