I’m sitting here snacking on a bag of chips as I type out this blog post. I know I’m going to feel extremely guilty upon finishing the entire bag, but I can’t resist the crispiness, salt content and the slight oozing of grease into my mouth. What is it about chips that are so irresistible? Well, this question is super relevant to the recipe that I am sharing here, for Crispy Korean Vegetable Pancake, an equally irresistible appetizer!
VEGETABLE OPTIONS
Korean vegetable pancakes resemble Chinese scallion pancakes, which is another one of my weaknesses, but it is packed with a wider variety of vegetables! They’re also made crispy, which makes them a huge crowd pleaser to children and adults alike AND there are absolutely no restrictions to the types of vegetables you wish to incorporate into the pancake! The more, the merrier (as long as the the vegetable to pancake batter is still proportional, we are good here)! I tend to add vegetables that possess a nice crunch when bitten into, but the following are all great options:
- Green cabbage
- Carrots
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini
- Sweet potato
- Leeks
- Chives
For my recipe, I am using green cabbage, onions, carrots and scallions, simply because they were sitting in my fridge at the time. For better consistency (and presentation), I like to chop the vegetables into strips, but feel free to play around with shapes … and sizes?
THE BATTER
The recipe to my batter is as easy as it can get. It contains only 3 ingredients: all purpose flour, sea salt and water. Simply mix the dry ingredients together, then gradually add water while whisking at the same time, until the batter reaches a smooth consistency that resembles fully melted ice cream!
Subsequently, add all your vegetables into the pancake batter and mix until they are thoroughly coated! Now they are ready to be fried up into crispy goodness!
My recipe makes 2 pancakes, which I would advise frying on an 8″ non-stick pan. Press down gently with the side of your spatula to ensure the pancakes come out as thin as possible. The thinner they are, the crispier they get! When both sides are fried until golden brown, they are ready to be removed from the pan!
What’s even better is I am also including an easy dipping sauce recipe (which is completely optional but recommended), if you’re looking for something salty, sweet and slightly vinegary to complement the pancakes. Cut the vegetable pancakes up, into 4 or 8 pieces per pancake, then serve them IMMEDIATELY with the optional sauce! My kids LOVE them and they’re a great way to squeeze vegetables into their diet!
If you tried my recipe, please leave me a comment below to share your feedback, subscribe to my YouTube channel and tag me @rackoflam #rackoflam on social media!
Korean Vegetable Pancake with Dipping Sauce Recipe (Yachaejeon 야채전)
Equipment
- 1 nonstick pan preferably 8"
Ingredients
FOR THE VEGETABLE PANCAKES
- 4 cups vegetables (chopped into strips) SEE NOTE 1 BELOW
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp sea salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp white distilled vinegar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp sugar or to taste
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
DIPPING SAUCE
- Combine all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl, mixing until the sugar is dissolved, then top with optional sesame seeds. Set aside while preparing the pancakes.
VEGETABLE PANCAKES
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and sea salt, then mix until blended. Gradually add the water while continuously whisking, until the batter has a smooth consistency (like melted ice cream). Add all the chopped vegetables, then mix until thoroughly coated with the batter.
- Heat half the neutral oil on a nonstick pan over medium high heat, swirling to coat evenly.
- Place half the batter into the pan, gently pressing down with the side of your spatula, until the batter is evenly thin.
- Fry one side of the pancake until golden brown (about 4 minutes), then flip and do the same with the other side. Set the pancake aside.
- Repeat steps 2-4 with the remaining oil and vegetable pancake batter.
- Cut the pancakes into pieces and serve immediately with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I typically use about 1.5 cups of green cabbage, 1 cup of onions, 1 cup of carrots and 1/2 cup scallions, distributed equally between 2 pancakes, but don’t restrict yourself to these options! Mushrooms and zucchini are also great choices! Get creative!
PRODUCTS FEATURED:
- Cleaver: https://amzn.to/3VsEQwj
- Henckels Cutting Board – https://amzn.to/4aQlY0q
- Non-stick Pans – https://amzn.to/43S7s5O
- Turner – https://amzn.to/3TPBnHj
- Whisk – https://amzn.to/3JdfDQQ
- All Purpose Flour – https://amzn.to/3VM8b6G
- Soy Sauce – https://amzn.to/3xrTQlQ
- Sea Salt – https://amzn.to/3UmceFP
- Sesame Oil – https://amzn.to/43PWj5z
