Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancake)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp tamari
• 2 tsp rice vinegar (For the dipping sauce)
• 1 spicy red pepper (Sliced; for the dipping sauce)
• 1 green onion (Sliced; for the dipping sauce)
• 1 clove garlic (Minced; for the dipping sauce)
• 0.5 tsp toasted sesame oil (For the dipping sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Gochugaru (Korean red pepper powder) (For the dipping sauce)
• 0.5 tsp honey (For the dipping sauce)
• 0.5 tsp sesame seeds (For the dipping sauce)
• 1 cup water (For the batter; add more if needed to reach a thin pancake-batter consistency)
• 0.5 cup white rice flour (For the batter; may be replaced with an additional 1/4 cup tapioca starch)
• 0.5 cup tapioca starch (For the batter)
• 2 eggs (Beaten; for the batter)
• 1 tsp mirin (For the batter; or use 1/2 tsp rice vinegar)
• 1 tsp salt (For the batter)
• 0.5 tsp white pepper (For the batter)
• 25 green onions (Trimmed to the length of the skillet; retain the trimmings)
• 1 red bell pepper (Sliced and divided; one portion goes into the pancake and the remainder is used as garnish)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (For pan-frying)
• sesame seeds (For garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the dipping sauce by combining the tamari, rice vinegar, sliced spicy red pepper, sliced green onion, minced garlic, toasted sesame oil, Gochugaru, honey, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Set it aside to allow the flavors to marry.

2. 2

   Prepare the batter by placing the water, white rice flour, tapioca starch, beaten eggs, mirin, salt, and white pepper in a large mixing bowl.

3. 3

   Stir the batter ingredients together. The batter should have the consistency of a thin pancake batter; add more water if needed.

4. 4

   Warm the coconut oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Pour about one-quarter of the batter evenly into the skillet.

6. 6

   Immediately arrange the green onions and their trimmings, along with half of the sliced red bell pepper, in the skillet, facing in one direction and spread evenly.

7. 7

   Pour the remaining batter over the green onions.

8. 8

   Pan-fry until golden, about 3 minutes.

9. 9

   Flip the pancake and pan-fry until cooked through, about 2 more minutes.

10. 10

    Cool the pancake for 5 minutes, then slice it into squares.

11. 11

    Serve with the dipping sauce, garnished with the remaining sliced bell pepper and sesame seeds. The author suggests enjoying it with friends and beer or cider.

Notes

To avoid rice flour, replace it with an additional 1/4 cup of tapioca starch. The source does not specify the skillet size or provide a precise amount of additional water if the batter is too thick.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• pan-fried
• Korean
• easy
• dairy-free