Vegetable Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes With Vegetables)

Name: Vegetable Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes With Vegetables)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Cuisine: korean
Ingredients: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup potato starch (or 1/4 cup each white rice flour and cornstarch); 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 3/4 cup ice water; 1 large egg; 1/4 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; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar, plus more to taste; 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger or garlic (optional); 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more to taste; Pinch of granulated sugar

Recipe from Sohui Kim

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Updated Sept. 1, 2021

Vegetable Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancakes With Vegetables) — Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(2,720)
Comments: Read comments

Crisp at the edges, soft at the center and filled with scallions and other vegetables, these irresistible, comforting pancakes (adapted from Sohui Kim of Insa and the Good Fork restaurants in Brooklyn) make for a quick dinner that you can throw together on any given weeknight. It’s extremely forgiving, so feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Ms. Kim recommends finely shredded raw vegetables, or even leftover cooked vegetables. And if you don’t have the bandwidth to make a dipping sauce, a drizzle of soy sauce and squirt of Sriracha adds verve without any work. Serve pajeon by itself or topped with a fried egg or two, if you want to add protein. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: A Pancake That’s Ready for All the Vegetables in Your Fridge

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings

For the Pancakes

½cup all-purpose flour
½cup potato starch (or ¼ cup each white rice flour and cornstarch)
¾teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
½teaspoon baking powder
¾cup ice water
1large egg
¼cup finely chopped kimchi
4cups finely chopped or grated mixed vegetables (carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, kale, whatever you’ve got)
4scallions, cut into 2-inch-long sections and thinly sliced lengthwise
2tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil, plus more as needed

For the Dipping Sauce

3tablespoons soy sauce
2teaspoons rice wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger or garlic (optional)
½teaspoon sesame oil, plus more to taste
Pinch of granulated sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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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.

Ratings

4 out of 5

2,720 user ratings

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Comments

CL5 years ago

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.

Lois5 years ago

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.

Melissa5 years ago

I do Korean pancakes in the waffle maker - super crispy and less oil than a frypan

Camandari1 week ago

As always, read the comments & decided to give the waffle iron method a try, having just gifted my husband one for his birthday. They worked pretty well (though we had trouble getting the middle completely cooked w/o burning the outside). But ultimately it was a just a very good savory waffle & we missed the authentic Asian-ness of the dish. Next time will make pancakes (thanks to reader who shared Japanese chef's hack of poking the pancakes with chopsticks to help the middle cook).

~Chrissie O.1 week ago

Maybe crazy question but I boiled potatoes tonight in a scant pan of water, so the water is highly starchy. I usually use it in plants, etc., but could that starchy water substitute for the water and potato starch components??? Sounds absolutely divine - poached egg on top for the win!

Leslie1 week ago

What is the 3/4 cup of ice water in this recipe used for?

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