Maangchi on YouTube Maangchi on Facebook Maangchi on Twitter Maangchi on Instagram Maangchi on TikTok

Green onion pancake

Pajeon 파전

Ever since I blogged about a pancake I made with wild green onions I picked in Central Park, many people expressed interest in the recipe through my blog, email, and Facebook page.

So I decided to take another field trip to pick more wild green onions and mugwort to make video recipes with the ingredients. I still have one more video to post from Mexico, but I’ll post it later. In the spring these wild vegetables are soft and tender. Soon they will get tough, and anybody who wants to pick them wild shouldn’t do it too late in the season. My next video will be a soup and snack made with wild grown mugwort. Then the last video that I filmed in Mexico will be released.

You could use green onions from a grocery store for this recipe.

Ingredients (for 1 rectangular pancake about 6×7 inches)

Green onions, flour, water, soybean paste, sugar, and vegetable oil.

Directions

  1. Clean, wash, and drain a handful of wild green onions (or about 10 stalks of normal green onion).
  2. Cut them into 5 inch long pieces.
  3. Make batter by mixing ½ cup flour, ½ cup water, 1 ts soybean paste, and ½ ts sugar in a bowl. Mix well until the batter is smooth.
  4. Place a non-stick pan on the stove and heat it up.
  5. Add about 3 tbs vegetable oil to the heated pan.
  6. Put the green onion on the pan parallel to each other, in the shape of a rectangle.
  7. Pour the batter over the green onion evenly.
    *tip: If you want some seafood (chopped squid, mussels or  fresh oysters) in your pancake add it on top of the green onion before pouring the batter.
  8. While the pancake is being cooked, keep patting it, pressing it slightly, and keeping it in a nice shape with your spatula.
  9. A few minutes later, when the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and golden brown, turn it over.
  10. Cook a few more minutes until the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and golden brown again, and flip it or turn it over.
  11. Cook another minute and transfer it to a serving plate.
  12. Serve hot with sauce.

Sauce:

Mix these ingredients in a small bowl:
2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs vinegar, 1 ts sugar or honey, chopped onion, chopped green or red chili peppers, and 1 ts roasted toasted sesame seeds.

Posted on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 at 9:58 pm. Last updated on July 29, 2021.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave your rating:

So far this is rated 5/5 from 10381 votes

Be the first to rate this.

71 Comments:

  1. heathermarie New Jersey joined 10/14 & has 1 comment
    Posted October 4th, 2014 at 6:56 pm | or create a profile.

    I just tried making this tonight for my sister and I! I made a double batch of batter, just in case I messed up. Turns out that was a good decision on my part because the first one turned out awful and I had to scrap it. But the second one turned out FANTASTIC. The sauce was delicious, too. I didn’t get to take any pictures because we kind of ate it all in 2 seconds…

  2. Halfkimchi Ann Arbor, MI joined 7/14 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 20th, 2014 at 7:04 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi, Maangchi! I’m having trouble with steps 7 and 8. When I pour the batter the green onion/seafood scatter to the edges plus I have trouble flipping it. The pancake just kinda falls apart. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it? Thanks!!

  3. crazycanadian Canada joined 7/14 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 17th, 2014 at 10:07 pm | or create a profile.

    I made these green onion pancakes using the thicker, store-bought green onions. I sliced them into thinner strips so they would be easier to chew when I make them. I also used salt instead of soy bean paste but it was still very delicious! I had this pancake and the delicious sauce with kimchi soup for dinner. Thank you, Maangchi, and I will definitely make this again!

    p.s. I love all of your recipes and have tried many!

  4. woleile U.S.A. joined 5/13 & has 2 comments
    Posted May 22nd, 2013 at 8:38 pm | or create a profile.

    I have a question about the doenjang soybean paste, is it okay if I use the Japanese white soybean paste?

  5. Heyssel-M USA joined 6/12 & has 3 comments
    Posted September 21st, 2012 at 1:23 am | or create a profile.

    I love this!! It’s so yummy! I was never much of a fan of green onions, but man Koreans know how to use these! So good!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you maangchi!

  6. ahoxx080 Minneapolis, MN joined 8/12 & has 1 comment
    Posted August 5th, 2012 at 3:54 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi! Thank you for posting these recipes with videos, and for making Korean cuisine something that everyone can try at home. I didn’t grow up learning to cook Korean food, so I usually go to Korean restaurants in my area. Learning to cook Korean, however, gives you more of an appreciation for the complexity of ingredients and balance of flavor characteristic of Korean cuisine. I love your website! Keep up the great work!

  7. Toto Bonn, Germany joined 6/10 & has 36 comments
    Posted July 19th, 2012 at 12:17 pm | or create a profile.

    Oh I love this recipe. This year, summer in Germany is soo rainy and cold, so I decided to make my own Makgeolli wich is just wonderful with Pajeon. Pajeon and Makgeolli on a rainy day. Just awesome :)
    Thank you really much! :)

  8. Sali joined 6/12 & has 12 comments
    Posted July 10th, 2012 at 6:29 pm | or create a profile.

    I love all of your vegetable pancake recipes! They are really great to make in the summer, when there are fresh vegetables everywhere. I forgot to add sugar into the batter but the onion tasted so sweet I didn’t even notice it. :) Your wild green onions are so cute!

  9. hyde United States joined 2/12 & has 8 comments
    Posted February 27th, 2012 at 5:49 pm | or create a profile.

    I must be doing something wrong.. ;T__T Every time I make this, no matter how long on how low of a heat I cook it, the batter never cooks fully. Instead, it just absorbs a ton of oil and becomes gross …

  10. imalovingit Singapore joined 1/12 & has 1 comment
    Posted January 11th, 2012 at 1:16 am | or create a profile.

    Can I check if any kinds of floor is possible?

  11. cluvy Singapore joined 12/11 & has 7 comments
    Posted January 4th, 2012 at 4:20 am | or create a profile.

    I absolutely love this recipe! It makes really crispy pancakes. I add abt 1/2tspn of baking soda to the flour mixture to make it more crispy. I don’t have doenjang at home so I used miso instead. Once I replaced it with soy sauce as my friend was vegetarian and it worked out really well. It’s definitely best eaten hot and crispy! When I have the chance, I shall try adding seafood to the pancake!

  12. dawnng Toronto joined 11/11 & has 3 comments
    Posted November 12th, 2011 at 3:54 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi, thank you for the receipe. I have just successfully completed cooking my pajeon – one round with green onions and another round with puchu…and both taste just as good! My husband is coming home now, guess he will be my best food taster because he is a korean!

  13. YMee StP joined 9/11 & has 1 comment
    Posted September 28th, 2011 at 1:09 am | or create a profile.

    Maangchi,

    If I dont have soybean paste, what can I use to replace it and where can I get it? Thanks!

  14. lubilubi cali joined 9/11 & has 1 comment
    Posted September 14th, 2011 at 6:12 pm | or create a profile.

    hi maangchi! i recently found your website and i love it. i can’t have gluten and was wondering if rice flour would be a good substitute for all purpose flour for this recipe. thank you!

  15. ahnie1950 philladelphia joined 9/11 & has 1 comment
    Posted September 3rd, 2011 at 5:32 pm | or create a profile.

    Maangchi, My daughter introduced me to your web site. I am so glad that she did. I will really enjoy it.
    I would like to add to your recipe —- fine chopped up jalepeno ( if any one liked a little spicy food)

More comments to read! Jump to page: 1 2 3

Leave a Reply

You must create a profile and be logged in to post a comment.