Let’s celebrate the spring of 2018 with yachaejeon, a Korean vegetable pancake!
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!
Serves: 2
For a large 12 inch pancake
Ingredients
About 2½ to 3 cups 0f 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
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup water
- vegetable oil
Dipping sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru), optional
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Make dipping sauce:
- 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:
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- Turn down the heat to medium and put the sliced mushroom on top. Gently press them in with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- 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.
- Turn or flip over the pancake.
- 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.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until both sides turn light golden brown, occasionally pressing down with the spatula.
- Flip it over one more time and cook another 2 minutes.
Serve:
- Transfer it to a large plate and serve right away with the dipping sauce.
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)
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.
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)
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!
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
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!
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
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!
Ruth!
omg, I’m very happy to hear that.
I was worried about your frustration.
I made much much better pancakes now, many thanks Maangchi!!
ruth
Hi,
I’m glad to hear that your boy friend eventually made a successful pancake.
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!!
(((:
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.
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
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.