Crispy Pajeon (Scallion Pancake) with Potato Starch
A crispy Korean pancake made with sweet spring scallions, squid, and a touch of potato starch in the batter.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This pajeon features potato starch added to Korean pancake mix for a texture that is crisp on the outside and tender inside. Pre-seasoning the batter with tuna extract sauce brings plenty of savory umami even without dipping sauce. Pan-frying quickly in generous cooking oil over high heat keeps the pancakes perfectly crisp without turning soggy.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servingsOriginal: 2 pancakes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Scallions (jjokpa)300 g
- Squid1 cup (sliced)
- Carrot1/3
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
Batter ingredients
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu)1 1/2 cups
- Potato starch1/2 cup
- Water2 cups
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tbsp
- Instead of squid, mixed seafood or dried shrimp also works great, or you can omit it entirely.
Steps
Slice the ingredients
Cut the scallions into 3 to 4 cm lengths to make them easy to pan-fry.
Julienne the carrot to a similar length as the scallions, chop the squid smaller, and finely mince the Cheongyang chili pepper.
Add all the sliced ingredients into a bowl.
Make the batter
For today's batter, I used 1 1/2 cups of Korean pancake mix along with 1/2 cup of potato starch.
Adding a bit of potato starch to the batter makes the pancake much crispier and more delicious.
To skip serving it with seasoned soy sauce, season the base with 2 tbsp of tuna extract sauce, pour in 2 cups of water, and mix—that is all for the batter.
Rather than making the pancake batter first and then tossing in the ingredients,
adding the flour and water directly over the ingredients while adjusting ensures you do not end up with too little or leftover batter.
Pan-fry the pancake
Heat the pan over high heat, grease generously with cooking oil, then spread the batter out wide.
The oil temperature should be high enough that the batter feels like it is sizzling and bubbling so the pancake turns crispy instead of soggy.
Reduce to medium heat and pan-fry so the inside cooks through and turns a light golden brown.
After flipping, press down with a spatula so any clumped batter flattens and becomes thin.
Finish
Along with kimchi pancakes, pajeon is one of my absolute favorites.
Spring scallions are sweet and tender these days, so after making scallion kimchi, I saved some on purpose when I heard the rain forecast to fry up two pancakes.
It is perfect to fry and eat on a spring rainy day like today.
Unlike kimchi pancakes, pajeon or chive pancakes become soggy and tough once they cool, so it is best to fry just enough to finish in one sitting.
Ppunwife's tips
- Adding a bit of potato starch to the batter makes the pancake much crispier and more delicious.
- Rather than making the pancake batter first and then adding the ingredients, pouring the flour and water directly over the ingredients while adjusting ensures you do not end up with too little or leftover batter.
- The oil temperature should be high enough that the batter feels like it is sizzling and bubbling so the pancake turns crispy instead of soggy.
- Unlike kimchi pancakes, pajeon or chive pancakes turn soggy and tough once they cool, so it is best to fry just enough to finish in one sitting.
FAQ
Is there a batter secret to making Korean pancakes crispier?
Mixing potato starch with the Korean pancake mix gives the batter a much crispier texture. Also, generously coating the pan with oil and adding the batter only when the oil is sufficiently hot prevents sogginess.
Can I use other ingredients instead of squid?
You can use mixed seafood or dried shrimp instead of squid, or you can completely omit the seafood if you prefer.
Is there a way to get the batter ratio just right?
Rather than preparing the batter liquid in advance, pouring the flour and water directly over the chopped ingredients little by little while mixing prevents having too much leftover batter or running short.
