Spring onion pancake (pajeon)

Pajeon is one of the most popular and basic Korean pancakes and it only takes a few minutes to whip up a couple of these bad boys for a snack or appetiser.

Korean spring onion pancake Credit: Billy Law

• serves

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 4 spring onions (scallions)
• vegetable oil, for frying

Korean pancake mix

• 110 g (4 oz/¾ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cm (¾ in) piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Makes 2 pancakes

Instructions

1. To make the pancake mix, sift all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the garlic and ginger, 185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) iced water and the egg, and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps. Add a little more water to loosen the batter if necessary. It should be thick but still runny with the consistency of pouring cream. Set aside.
2. Trim the roots off the spring onions and cut into 8–10 cm (3¼–4 in) lengths. If the white parts are thick, split them in half lengthways.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Give the batter a quick stir then ladle half of the batter into the pan. Use the back of the ladle to spread the batter out to the edges of the pan. Lay half the spring onions in a single layer on top of the batter. Fry the pancake for 4–5 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Use a wide spatula to flip the pancake over. Cook for a further 4–5 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Transfer the pancake to a baking tray lined with paper towel to catch any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining batter and spring onions.
5. Cut the pancakes into large squares and serve warm.

 

Recipe and images from Little Korea Iconic Dishes and Cult Recipes by Billy Law, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.