Pajeon (Korean Scallion Pancake)
A recipe for crispy pajeon (Korean scallion pancake) that's long and beautiful, like those served in restaurants, without the scallions clumping or the pancake becoming doughy.
📝 Editor's Notes
This seafood pancake recipe helps you make crispy, odor-free seafood pancakes at home, just like those from specialty restaurants.
It's packed with squid and shrimp for rich seafood flavor, complemented by crunchy vegetables for diverse textures.
Detailed tips on draining ingredients, batter preparation, and heat control are included, making it easy for even beginners to succeed.
Perfect for a rainy day or special occasion with a glass of makgeolli (막걸리), it will surely become a family favorite.
The difficulty level is low-to-medium, and you can easily complete a delicious seafood pancake with fresh ingredients.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
The key to a delicious seafood pancake starts with selecting fresh ingredients.
For squid, choose ones with a transparent and elastic body and clear eyes.
For shrimp, look for firm, shiny shells and plump flesh.
Freshness is especially crucial for an odor-free seafood pancake.
Select onions, carrots, and chives that are vibrant in color and not wilted.
If you dislike overly spicy food, you can replace Cheongyang chili peppers (청양고추) with red chili peppers (홍고추) or omit them.
Check the expiration dates for Korean pancake mix (부침가루) and Korean frying mix (튀김가루), and remember that cold water is the secret to a crispy texture.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you have a seafood allergy or can't find specific seafood ingredients, you can use substitutes.
Instead of squid, you can use webfoot octopus or octopus for a chewy texture and richer umami flavor.
If shrimp isn't available, clam meat or mussel meat can be used.
In this case, the seafood aroma might be stronger, so add a bit more Cheongyang chili pepper (청양고추) or black pepper.
If chives are unavailable among vegetables, you can substitute with scallions or water parsley.
The aroma and texture of each ingredient will vary slightly, but the basic flavor will be maintained, allowing you to enjoy new variations.
If you have a wheat allergy, you can try mixing rice flour and starch flour, but it might result in less crispiness.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
There are three crucial cooking points for this seafood pancake recipe. First, draining the seafood.
Make sure to completely pat dry the cleaned squid and shrimp with paper towels to prevent the batter from becoming watery and to reduce any fishy odor.
This step is key to crispiness and flavor, so don't skip it.
Second, lightly mixing the batter is essential.
Add Korean pancake mix (부침가루), Korean frying mix (튀김가루), water, egg, seafood, and vegetables to a bowl and mix lightly with a spatula, about 10-15 strokes, just until roughly combined.
This minimizes gluten formation, ensuring the pancake isn't tough but crispy.
Third, cooking slowly over medium heat in a sufficiently preheated pan is important.
The pan needs to be hot enough to prevent the pancake from absorbing too much oil and to ensure crispiness.
Cook the thinly spread batter over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown, ensuring it's cooked through to the center and crispy at the edges.
When flipping, make sure the bottom is fully cooked and firm enough to turn in one go.
👨🍳 Directions
Wash scallions thoroughly, pat dry, and cut them into lengths that fit your pan.
In a bowl, combine 1 cup of Korean pancake mix (부침가루), 1/2 cup of Korean frying mix (튀김가루), 1 cup of cold water, and a pinch of salt. Mix lightly until just combined, with a few lumps of flour still visible.
Preheat a pan over medium heat, then add a generous amount of cooking oil.
Arrange the scallions neatly in the pan. Ladle the batter over the scallions, spreading it thinly and evenly.
Next, top with sliced Cheongyang chili pepper (청양고추) and red chili pepper (홍고추) for color.
Whisk the egg separately and drizzle it thinly over the batter.
It's important to cook over medium heat initially until crispy, then reduce the heat to cook thoroughly to the center.
Flip the pajeon when the edges turn golden brown and the scallions have softened slightly.
After flipping, gently press down with a spatula. Cook thoroughly on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Your pajeon is complete!
💡 Tips
Cut the scallions to a length that fits your pan to ensure a better texture.
Using cold water for the batter reduces gluten formation, resulting in a crispier pajeon.
Do not overmix the batter; stir lightly until just combined, with a few lumps of flour still visible.
Arranging scallions in the pan first and then thinly pouring batter over them prevents clumping and creates a prettier shape.
Heat control is crucial. Cook over medium heat initially for crispiness, then reduce the heat to cook the interior thoroughly.
Gently pressing down with a spatula after flipping helps the scallions and batter adhere, enhancing crispiness.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Once cooked, let the seafood pancake cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
For longer storage, portion it out, wrap each serving in plastic wrap, and freeze.
Frozen, it can last about 2 weeks.
To reheat, use an air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for 5-7 minutes, or pan-fry over low heat until crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
Avoid reheating in the microwave as it can make it soggy.
Leftover seafood pancake can also be torn into pieces and added to kimchi jjigae (김치찌개) or stir-fried with rice for a seafood pancake fried rice, which is another delicious treat.
🥢 Who This Is For
This seafood pancake is perfect as a special occasion dish for guests or as a snack with makgeolli (막걸리) on a rainy day.
It's also great as a kids' snack and an excellent accompaniment for adults' drinks.
Recommended side dishes include refreshing dongchimi (동치미) or sweet and sour pickled onions, which help balance the richness and harmonize the flavors.
You can also enjoy it as a meal with warm bean sprout soup or seaweed soup.
🔥 Nutrition Info
This seafood pancake recipe is rich in protein due to abundant seafood like squid and shrimp.
Based on a serving size of approximately 7 oz (200g), the estimated calories are about 350-450 kcal, with protein around 20-25g, fat around 20-25g, and carbohydrates around 30-40g.
Seafood is rich in taurine, which helps with fatigue recovery, and also contains minerals like zinc and selenium.
Thanks to the vegetables, you can also supplement with dietary fiber and vitamin C.
However, due to the use of Korean pancake mix (부침가루) and Korean frying mix (튀김가루), carbohydrates and calories are somewhat high, so moderation is advised.
Fat content may vary depending on the amount of cooking oil used.
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