YACHAEJEON ~ KOREAN VEGETABLE PANCAKES with SESAME TAMARI DIPPING SAUCE

by | Aug 21, 2023 | Chilis, Condiments, Cooking, Ginger, Recipes, Seeds, Vegetarian | 0 comments

Well this was good. If you’re like our household, you’re probably still trying to think of ways to eat your truckload of zucchini. This literally took 30 total minutes to make and was delicious. AND we used TWO of our TEN zucchinis sitting on the counter. Winner winner pancake dinner.

There are several variations of Korean pancakes circulating online. Pajeon is a recipe that includes more ingredients like red bell peppers, hot peppers and sweet onion. Another recipe called Haemul Pajeon, includes seafood. Just to mention two. They all look fantastic. I just chose this one because the pictures looked good, it was a simple three veggie pancake that focused on zucchini and it sounded like the perfect match for the dipping sauce I frequently make and love!

Makes two large pancakes that serve 6 portions as an appetizer or 2 portions as an entree

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-1/2 C grated zucchini, squeezed of liquid
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more for batter
  • 1 C grated orange carrots
  • 1/2 C green onion, sliced lengthwise, thin
  • 1-2 tsp fresh garlic, minced (the addition of fresh garlic makes this exceptional, so we used 2 teaspoons)
  • I C flour
  • 3 T corn starch or potato starch
  • 1 C cold water
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil (or canola, avocado or peanut oil)

Dipping Sauce

  • 1 T toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 T jalapeno, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 T scallions, chopped
  • 1/4 C tamari or shoyu
  • 3 T rice wine vinegar
  • 2 T water
  • 2 T good sesame oil
In a strainer, add grated zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss well and let stand for 10-15 minutes to allow liquid to drain out of zucchini. Once drained, use cheese cloth and squeeze liquids completely out of zucchini. You’ll be surprised at how much comes out. In a large mixing bowl, toss all vegetables and garlic together. In a separate mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Pour in the cold water and whisk until well incorporated. Add all the vegetables in and mix so all vegetables are well coated.  For the dipping sauce, whisk all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside until you’re ready to serve. Preheat a non-stick sauce’ pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add enough oil to coat the surface of the pan. Using a 1-cup measuring cup, scoop out enough to cover the bottom of the pan. It may take a couple of cups depending on your pan size. With a spatula, quickly spread the batter out so it is only about 1/8″ thick. Cook for approximately 4 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, then flip and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. You may need additional oil to finish the second side. Once cooked transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until you have used all your batter. Slice immediately. Serve with dipping sauce and sriracha (if you can find any!!)

COOK’s NOTES

  • While not listed as an ingredient for Yachaejeon, I had Thai basil in one of the gardens and decided to add some to our second batch. Loved it even more.
  • We froze some of our left over cut pancake in ziplock bags. Hoping we can enjoy this later in the fall by simply heating them in a cast iron pan. We’ll see…

 

 

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