[Korean Recipes] Pajeon (Korean Pancake)

This easy Korean Pancake Recipe, called Pajun (Pajeon) is loaded with vegetables, served with a spicy soy dipping sauce, and are super kid-friendly. 

You also can try and taste Jachae (Korean Noodles) - Traditional noodles in Korean 

If you’ve hung around A Spicy Perspective for more than a few weeks, you probably know I am crazy about global cuisine.

I love experimenting with unique flavor combinations, exotic spices, and classic dishes from places we’ve traveled.

Well today’s dish falls under the none-of-the-above category, but is still dazzling enough to share. *wink*

A Korean Pancake, known as Pajun (Pajeon) is made from a standard savory pancake batter mixed with various fresh vegetables, then are pan-fried to perfection.

There are no “unique” or “exotic” combinations here, unless you find the soy and sesame seeds in the dipping sauce exotic.

And I’ve never been to Korea. I’ve only passed through the Seoul Airport heading to other locations.

Nevertheless, my family has a favorite Korean restaurant here in Asheville, and we absolutely cannot visit without ordering the Pajun, Korean Pancakes.

They might be the best things on the menu…

Korean Pancakes are crispy on the outside, soft and moist in the middle, and chock-full of fresh lightly-cooked vegetables.

Now, I know we don’t always think of vegetables as kid-friendly, but my two babies beg for Pajun.

We also took a little friend, who is extremely picky has a delicate palate, to eat Korean pancakes with us and she was crazy over them as well.

So for the last few months my children + one, have been begging me to figure out how to make a Korean Pancake.

Today’s recipe is dedicated to Carson, Ava and Paiton, my favorite little Pajeon eaters.

This is actually a very simple recipe.

You whisk up the soy dipping sauce. Beat the pancake batter. Then let the batter rest while you chop up the veggies.

The vegetables should be cut really small, julienne-small, to make sure they cook through. I used my mandoline here to save time.

Assuming you might not own a mandoline, I also used pre-shredded carrots and hash browns, instead of whole potatoes and carrots to cut down on the prep-work.

Then mix in the veggies and fry up the pajun, 4-5 minutes per side.

This is a great make-ahead that can be warmed up in the oven.

Korean Pancake: Pajeon

YIELD: 8 servings

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
For the Pajun (Pajeon):
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups frozen hash browns, completely thawed
1 cup shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced julienne
1 small zucchini, sliced julienne
1 bunch green onions, cut in 1 in. sections
Pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for cookingFor the Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 minced garlic clove
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

Place all the dipping sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk and warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, just long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Whisk again and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the flour, water, egg and salt. Set the batter aside to rest.

Preheat two non-stick skillets to medium high heat. Slice all the veggies julienne (long thin strips) and mix into the batter. Pepper to taste. If the batter still seems very thick after the veggies are mixed in, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix well.

Now add a little oil to each skillet and swirl around. Ladle enough veggie batter into each skillet to completely cover the bottom. Fry for 4-5 minutes, per side.

Repeat with remaining batter. *Using two 12 inch skillets, you should have enough batter to make 4 large pancakes.

Cut the Korean pancakes into wedges and serve warm with the dipping sauce.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Aspicyperspective.com. Thanks so much!