Pajeon, sounds French to me but it is not. It’s a very popular Korean snack and you can find these at almost all Korean restaurants. When translated in English, it literally means Green (spring) Onion Pancakes. Koreans are so smart; they certainly make our lives easy when it comes to interpretation of their language. One thing that I personally love about this recipe is that it gives you an opportunity to be creative. If you are a seafood lover you can give these Green Onion Pancakes a little zhoosh by adding mussels, shrimp, or something fancier, lobster meat. Don’t be disappointed my vegetarian readers, you can skip the egg (if you wish) and supplement the seafood with some mushrooms, sweet corn, peppers, or you can just keep it simple with green onions. Let’s put it this way, you can dress it up but there is no dressing down. It’s like a woman wearing sensual lingerie under that beautiful dress; with or without that dress it is still perfection! Typically, the batter is made with all-purpose flour but I have replaced it with rice flour. That just makes this recipe even better, it’s gluten free! I have also included my very own recipe of the Dipping Sauce which goes well with this dish and has its own Korean flare.
Yields :8
Prep time: 20 mins and Cook time: 10 mins
INGREDIENTS
PAJEON
- Rice flour — 1 cup
- Egg — 1, large
- Shrimp (optional) — 1 cup, uncooked and finely chopped (about 10 medium shrimp)
- Green (Spring) onion — 3 shoots or when chopped should yield 1cup
- Seltzer (sparkling) water or club soda — 3/4 cup
- Fresno Chili — 1, large
- Avocado Oil — 2 tablespoons
- Salt — 1/4 teaspoon
SAUCE
- Liquid Aminos or soy sauce — 1 tablespoon
- Oyster sauce — 1 teaspoon
- Mirin — 1 teaspoon
- Shallots — 1 small, when chopped should yield 1 teaspoon
- Garlic — 1 clove
- Gochujang paste or red chili flakes(optional) — 1/4 teaspoon
- Lime Juice — 1 teaspoon
- Sesame Oil — 1/2 teaspoon
- Honey — 1 teaspoon
DIRECTIONS
Making the Dipping Sauce
- Finely chop the shallots and garlic.
- In a small bowl, add the ingredients and give it a quick whisk until everything is all combined.
- Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. This is to aid the shallots and other sauces to infuse with one another.
- Transfer it into a dipping bowl and set it aside.
Making the Pajeon
- Finely chop the green onion, Fresno chili and shrimp.
- Line a plate with some paper towel or napkin and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the rice flour, salt, an egg and sparkling water. Whisk it until it turns into a smooth batter.
- Add the finely chopped vegetables and shrimp. Fold it in until everything is all combined.
- Now, heat a frying pan on medium high heat and add the avocado oil. When you notice the oil is hot (it should take about 2-3 minutes) pour a ladle of the batter on to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side.
- Repeat the process. Depending on the size of your pan, you can cook at least two pancakes simultaneously.
Another method of making this is to pour the batter to yield one large pancake and then cut it into bite pieces. Cook time will vary. - Transfer the pancakes to the lined plate and dab the excess oil out.
Serve it with the Dipping Sauce.
Bon Appétit!
NOTES
- Rice Flour: Can be replaced with 3/4 cup of All-purpose flour.
- Avocado Oil: Can be replaced with any odorless cooking oil.
- Soy sauce: Make sure to cook with a soy sauce that is low in sodium.
- Salt: Adding salt to the Pajeon is completely optional. The Dipping Sauce is usually on the salty side but when eaten together the salt is sufficient.
- Vegetarian: These Pajeon taste just as good with sweet corn or mushrooms. Just replace the cup of shrimp with a vegetable of your choice.
- Egg: If you would like to skip the egg, you may have to add a couple of tablespoons of extra water.
