Korean Scallion Pancake (Pa Jun)

This Korean scallion pancake recipe is easy to make and is always a big crowd-pleaser. It works as a hearty snack, an appetizer, or a side dish to a Korean or Asian meal. As with most Korean recipes and dishes, you can tweak it to your own tastes. Sliced red chili peppers and white onions can be added. Carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, and kimchi are also popular fillings for Korean scallion pancakes. If you are going to be using the ready-made batter available at Korean and other Asian groceries, see the bottom note for directions.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4 as an appetizer or a side dish

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 eggs, beaten

1.5 cups water

1 bunch of scallions, halved and cut into 2-3 inch lengths

1 tsp salt

Oil for cooking

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and let sit for about 10 minutes. Check consistency before cooking – batter should be a little bit runnier than American pancake batter, so that the Pa Jun cooks quickly and evenly.

2. Heat a saute pan over medium heat and coat with a thin layer of oil.

3. Pour batter to fill pan in a thin layer (about 1/3 of your batter should fill a regular saute pan).

4. Cook for 3-4 minutes until set and golden brown on bottom.

5. Turn over with help of spatula or plate (or flip it in the air if you are good at that) and finish by cooking 1-2 more minutes, adding more oil if necessary.

6. Serve with soy or spicy dipping sauce**.

*You can also make these using the ready-make “Korean Pancake Batter” (Buchimgae) from the Korean section of Asian grocery stores. You just add ¾ cup water to every 1 cup of dry mix and add whichever vegetables you wish.

** Spicy Dipping Sauce

A spicy dipping sauce for Korean dumplings, scallion pancakes, and tempura. A twist on the basic soy sauce and vinegar version, this adds a lot or a little spice to your meal.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp chili pepper flakes (kochukaru)

1 Tbsp scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and use as a dipping sauce for dumplings, scallion pancakes, mung bean pancakes, and tempura dishes.

*Can make in large batches and store in refrigerator for a couple weeks.

**If you don't have Korean chili pepper flakes (kochukaru), you can use cayenne pepper or sriracha sauce in the mix.

Source: Pa Jun