Let’s celebrate the spring of 2018 with yachaejeon, a Korean vegetable pancake! This crispy, healthy,  delicous, simple vegetarian pancake is a traditional Korean favorite with a lot of flavor and room for variation. It’s a great way to celebrate the freshness and newness of spring!

I introduced this recipe to you in 2007 when I first started YouTube, but it wasn’t exactly yachaejeon because I used seafood. The video is here if you’re interested to see it. This time let’s make a real yachaejeon!

We’ll use a couple different kinds of vegetables and you can add your own, too. I didn’t use perilla leaves (kkaenip) or asian chives (buchu) this time, but they work well in yachaejeon.

These pancakes remind me of my grandmother on my mother’s side, who passed away a long time ago. When I was young, during school vacation my mother used to send me and my siblings to her mother’s house in a small village in the countryside.

Whatever she made, it was so tasty! I remember she made vegetable pancakes all afternoon because she had to feed so many family members. While she was cooking the pancakes, we all waited and eagerly watched what she was doing. Once she brought it out, we ate it very fast!

Ingredients

Serves: 2
For a large 12 inch pancake

About 2½ to 3 cups of sliced vegetables:

  • 4 green onions, cut into 1 inch long
  • ⅓ cup leek (optional), sliced thinly 1 inch long
  • 3 ounces zucchini matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 green chili pepper (or jalapeño), optional, sliced
  • 3 ounces onion, sliced
  • ⅓ cup sweet potato
  • 1 fresh mushroom (white, baby portobello, or shiitake)

Also, for the pancake:

  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup water
  • vegetable oil

For the dipping sauce:

Directions

Make dipping sauce:

  1. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, hot pepper flakes (if using), and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix it well with a spoon. Transfer it to a small bowl. Seat aside.

Make batter:

  1. Combine green onion, leek (if using), zucchini, green chili pepper (if using), onion, and sweet potato in a bowl. Add flour salt, and ¾ cup water. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.

Make a pancake:

  1. Heat up a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. I use my 12 inch non-stick skillet to make one big pancake, but if your skillet is small, you can work in batches to make smaller ones.
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl it around to coat the skillet evenly. Add the batter to the skillet and spread it out evenly.
  3. Turn down the heat to medium and put the sliced mushroom on top. Gently press them in with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  4. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the bottom turns crunchy light golden brown. Grab the handle of the skillet and twirl it around so the pancake moves and is cooked evenly underneath.
  5. Turn or flip over the pancake.
  6. Increase the heat to medium high and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil along the edges of the pancake. Lift up one edge with your spatula and tilt the skillet so the oil flows underneath the pancake.
  7. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until both sides turn light golden brown, occasionally pressing down with the spatula.
  8. Flip it over one more time and cook another 2 minutes.

Serve:

  1. Transfer it to a large plate and serve right away with the dipping sauce.

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192 Comments:

  1. Hi Maangchi!
    I just ran into your videos while looking for korean recipes earlier today. You made this look so easy that I decided to give it a try.
    The first 4 pancakes were failures :( but I eventually got the hang of it! I made some with kimchi later on, and they tasted GREAT. Now I’m motivated and inspired to try more of your recipes. I’ll definitely be hooked on your videos from now on.
    Thank you for all your hard work!

  2. Hi Maangchi,

    I made these again tonight, probably because I read this blog yesterday. They came out great and I was able to vary the recipe and clean out the veggies in my fridge. I love doing the flip and your new videos.

    Keep up your great work,
    Keith

  3. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Zabeth,
    Unfortunately this vegetable pancake should be eaten once it is made. so we make this just before eating it. It’s impossible to keep it crispy. If you make fish jeon like “cod jeon” one of my videos , you can keep it for a day though.
    Thank you and wish good luck with making korean style of pancakes.
    I recommend you practice before making this. lot of people have let me know they needed practice. : )

  4. Dear Maangchi,
    I love these Korean vegetable pancakes. Always order in a restaurant and am happy to now have your recipe.
    My question: I am planning to make lots of them tomorrow. How do I keep them warm in the oven without them loosing their crispiness?
    Thanks for any advice. I’m cooking for our wonderful kindergarten – 16 kids! And I want the pancakes to turn out just as perfect as though I was cooking them freshly in front of their nose.
    Love your site!
    Greetings from Munich.
    Zabeth

  5. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    C.K,
    Yes, making smaller pancake will be good practice. Thanks!

  6. Tried this yesterday – following the video pretty much step by step – and it turned out well! For those having problems with soft & gooey middles – make smaller pancakes or get heavier pans (ie. cast iron)

  7. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Karen,
    You can replace “Boo chu” asian chives with green onions. Check out my ingredients blog where you will see what asian chives look like.

  8. hi maangchi :o)
    are asian chives and chives that you find in regular US supermarkets similar? can you substitute them for one another?

    keep up the good work :o)

  9. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Keith,
    haha, the flip must’ve been real thing that you wanted to learn! : )
    I can imagine you are flipping a piece of bread over and over again. LOL
    Oh, the squid dish turned out good? Nice!

  10. Hi Maangchi,

    I made these pancakes and they came out great. I am not one to follow recipes exactly, but I did on this one. I found that by covering the pan for a couple of minutes it firmed up nicely and was easier to flip. (You make the flip look very easy and it is not) If anyone wants to get the feel of the flip they should take a piece of bread in a pan and practice the motion until they are comfortable.

    I also made fried squid last week and it was another keeper.

    Thanks again for 2 more great dishes!

    Enjoy the warmer weather,
    Keith

  11. Beef vegetable soup (Yuk Gae Jang)

    Hi, Maangchi
    I tried cooking Yuk Gae Jang last night but the soup was too blend.
    For the amount of hot pepper sauce you have indicated, how much water should I use? I used only about 250grams of beef. Please kindly advise.
    Thank you!

  12. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Snoweymonkey
    I’m copying and pasting this,

    Chop ½ cup green onions and 3 cup of Asian chives, and shred zucchini to make 1/ 2 cup. Total cups of vegetables will be 4 cups

    please check the recipe

    Thanks

  13. Maangchi,

    Thank you for your great videos and recipes. Quick question regarding your pancake recipe. How much vegetable should I use? And how long should I fry the pancake? I fried my pancake for 20minutes and frequently flipping the pancakes, yet it’s still gluey in the center. But everything else taste great! Please help!

  14. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Ruth!
    omg, I’m very happy to hear that.
    I was worried about your frustration.

  15. I made much much better pancakes now, many thanks Maangchi!!

    ruth

  16. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hi,
    I’m glad to hear that your boy friend eventually made a successful pancake.

  17. hi Maangchi,

    Was craving for kimchi the other day.. so i came across your website after doing some researches from the net. ((:

    havent got time to try your kimchi recipe yet though.

    i tried this pancake recipe twice. :P but end up like Ruth eventhough I used measuring cups. T.T it tasted good although it’s soft in the middle part. My boyfriend tried it after my two round failures and he managed to make a decent looking pancake!! hahas. but I’ll try again till i get it right.

    Thanks Maangchi!!

    (((:

  18. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hi,Ruth,
    Please measure exactly.
    Prepare a big size of pan and all the measured mixture should be placed thinly after adding some oil. You said,”the edge turns out a bit crunchy, but still not in the middle” which means that you put too much mixture on the pan. And also lower heat. If you have a small pan, make 2 pancakes with this recipe. My other youtube audience keep sending me comments or email that their pancake turns out very good by following my recipe.
    Hope this tip helps you.

  19. I made a pancake every day from Monday to Thursday last week. I tried four times but it still didn’t turn out good. It’s not crunchy and crispy. Instead, it’s a bit sticky especially in the middle. What’s wrong? I didn’t have measuring cups, so I used my drinking cup instead. For the fourth time, I tried to put more flour, almost triple what’s required in your recipe. So this last time, the edge turns out a bit crunchy, but still not in the middle. Tasted far from what I had from korean restaurants. Manngchi, can you help me please?

    ruth

  20. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hello,hungry hamster,

    Flipping the “jeon” must impress people, but it’s very easy skill that anybody can do. Practice makes perfect. : )
    Thanks for your interest in my cooking videos.
    Sure, you can link my blog to your website.

  21. My jaw just dropped when I saw u flipping that pancake! You are amazing!

    Thanks for all the recipes! They are sooo useful!

    Hope u don’t mind me adding a link to ur site!

  22. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    lisa,
    Good good!!

  23. Maangchi,
    This has become a favorite! My husband and children love it!
    lisa in panama

  24. This looks so good!! I haven’t had good Korean food in a long time. I’m going to make this tomorrow. Thanks for all the recipes!

  25. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    hi,e-mom,

    I think the flip will be easier when you make smaller size of pancake.
    I can flip, so can you! : )

  26. This looks like the wonderful pancake I had at the Korean festival in downtown Toronto earlier this summer! Ì’m going to try using half the ingredients to make a smaller one ,,, do you think that would work? What an awesome flip! Too bad your video can`t teach me to do that too :)

  27. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    no, I’m not a cook as my job. I just like cooking. : )
    Thanks!

  28. THAT FLIP WAS AMAZING!!!

    Are you a cook by profession?

  29. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    hi,Andreas,

    Sounds like you can make good “Okonomiyaki”!

  30. Hats off! Great pan flip! :)
    Looks really good. If you put mayonaise, Tonkatsu sauce and fish flakes on the pancake, you’d have Okonomiyaki. But I love the Korean style with soy sauce as it fits better with other dishes.

  31. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Kitchen Ninja!
    LOL, yeah,I’ve heard from some youtube audience that I’m good at using knife. It’s good compliment. Why?
    We koreans say the most skillful cook in a family is supposed to use a knife and a cuttingboard. Others are just peeling garlic skin, arranging materials and cleaning around the kitchen.

  32. Wonderfull. I’ll have to try one or two of these reciepes while on vacation. It’ll be a stain on my honnor if I don’t! :) That flip is very risky. One wrong move and the whole thing is ruined! You’re like a kitchen ninja!

    Z

  33. Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments

    Hi,Ginger,

    I won’t forget your request “korean sidedishes”. : )

    I’m interested in your spicy tofu soup now.

    M

  34. Have some spicy tofu soup boiling on the stove so I can type much but I just wanted to say … thanks Maangchi!

    I was just at a Korean market earlier this week and almost picked up a pack of pancake mix – good thing I didn’t! This looked so easy.

    That was a great flip with the pan!! =)

    BTW … we have everything for a Korean feast except some banchans *wink*

  35. This looks delicious…can’t wait to try it!

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