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:
- 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.
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
Dear Maangchi,
I tried to make this for the first time today, it wasn’t that great, but it was much more better than my canteen food at work. Now, next on my target is Chamchijeon!
Kamsamnida!
Good luck with your Korean cooking!
Hi maangchi! I watched your vegetable pancake video on youtube & I want to ask you about the sauce. I live in China and they have 2 kinds of vinegar here, the black vinegar and white vinegar, which one do I have to use to make the pancake sauce? thank you!
I would use white vinegar. Thank you and happy cooking!
Hey, Maangchi, thank you so much for this recipe. I love it. My family (who has more “American” tastes) doesn’t always try the Korean food I make, but they love yachaejeon. I made it with green onion, zucchini, anaheim pepper, and some kale from our garden, and it was delicious. Growing up in America, I never dreamed that a bunch of vegetables could be so good :-)
wow, I’m glad to hear that! it sounds like your yachaejeon contains lots of yachae (vegetables)! Anaheim peppers are mild? http://organicgardensupplyco.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16
Great recipe, I make this at least twice a week. It is so yummy in my tummy, lol. I brought some to work for my friends to enjoy and they loved it! They were amazed that they were so good and they loved the dipping sauce.
yeah it’s more delicious with dipping sauce. Thank you for your update!
I tried making 해물전 today–I just used green onions and the frozen mix of seafood that they sell at the Korean grocery store. It turned out tasting great, but I couldn’t spread it thin enough in my 12 inch pan. Also, my non stick pan needs to be replaced so that was another problem. Anyway, it was delicious. My daughters loved it and they growled at me when I tried to take some bites off of their plates. (We are working on good manners, but it is a work in progress.) They told me “Mommy we LOVE seafood.”
” My daughters loved it and they growled at me when I tried to take some bites off of their plates..” You are such a good mom! Your children will always remember cooking and eating together experience when they grow up.
Dear Maangchi,
Your website is great! It is hard to find English written recipes while here in Korea and I love that I can come to this hub and find all the recipes that I need! I have tried this recipe because I really love the various pancakes served! I adapted your recipe on my blog http://farmeggs.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/vegetable-pancakes/
if you are interested! I didn’t use any seafood though and kept it pretty simple, but they still tasted great!
Keep it up!
Anna xo
wow, yours looks very delicious! Let’s twit about your pancake!
I have tried this recipe over and over again, and my family really loves it…It’s an easy recipe….I will try knimchi jeon next time…Anneyong!Gomawo!
awesome! Good luck with making delicious kimchijeon!
Hi maangchi, i made this and posted it thru flickr but my flickr account name is crystalbutterfly.. i added carrot and use red chilli instead of green (to make it colourful) thanks for ur recipe… :) but i failed with kimchijeon.. it’s mushy so i added batter n fried 2nd time turned out ok just too much flour.. hahahaa…
Hi Maangchi,
I live in Hong Kong and my whole family loves eating spicy Korean food. As my mum loves watching your videos, i watch them too :) i just tried cooking the zucchini pancake, but it doesn’t go all crispy like yours though i’ve already cooked it for a long time. What should i do????
Oh you have to spread it thinly, and use more oil. If you don’t put enough oil in, it won’t become crispy. Also cook on Medium High heat.
Hi, Maanchi!!
I am new here and haven’t tried cooking any of your recipes yet. I often go to Korean restaurants because my husband is a Korean. I love Korean food and I think it’s time for me to start learning how to make Korean food seriously.
Well, sorry if my question sounds silly, but what is the type of flour using in this case, “yachaejeon”? I want to know so I can go buy the correct type of flour.
Thanx so much!
yeah, it’s all purpose flour. yay! I’m so happy to hear that you start learning Korean cooking more seriously. Lucky husband! : )
Hiya maangchi!
I love vegetables and eat plenty but my family just eats meat and no veg or anything!Today I made yachaejeon for everyone and I think its the first time I have seen them enjoy vegetables! Thank you soo much! I’ll be using all your recipies to help my mum cook better and make my family healthier!!! I’m not sure how to send you a picture but when I figure it out I will post it. Thank you sooooo much!
oh, yeah? Wow, great news! I’m so happy to hear that your family enjoyed your vegetable pancakes! I know how you feel. : )
Hi,
I just made this for dinner and it was Delicious! I loved the crispy edges. I have a question though, is there a difference if you just add the egg to the batter rather than just pouring it on top, will it make it less crispy?
If you add egg to the batter, use less water because egg makes the batter runnier. 1 egg is approximately 3 tbs water?
Dear Maangchi,
Thank you so much for the great recipes! I tried making the Korean pancake today, and I have a question for you… I’ve never had Korean pancakes, what is supposed to be the texture of the inside?
Mine was very soft on the inside, and I was a bit nervous if it perhaps wasn’t cooked through. Perhaps the pan that I used was too small, it’s 9 inches in diameter. I think that all the vegetables started releasing juice, and that’s why it became soft on the inside. Is that how it’s supposed to be?
Thank you!
make sure its not more than 1 cm thick.. as long as it is crispy on the outside and not too watery in the inside its fine that its soft. try not to make it too thick (maybe make two pancakes instead with the recipe above) so it is crispier. :) enjoy~ soft is okay as long as the seafood is fully cooked.
koralex90! I don’t know how much thank you for answering people’s questions! Your answer is exactly what I would say! : )
Don’t forget Maangchi’s tip (from hobakjeon vid)! Make it extra crispy by cooking it in a few drops of sesame oil.
Dear Maangchi,
We had a Christmas dinner with lots of recipes (all meat-free) from your website. It was awesome! Photos are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybergabi/4214289059/
I loved the pancakes and the spinach side dish best. The soup with the dumplings was a bit disappointing, considering the amount of time and effort it took – maybe we should have gone for the spicy one? Neither of us ever had gingko nuts before, but we found them pretty great.
Thanks a lot for your wonderful recipes – we had a really great time, and awesome food too!
yay! I just checked your photo page. Everything looks great!
The pancakes look very circle shape and your spinach side dish looks very green! : ) How can I show all these beautiful photos to my other readers? I want every single person who is interested in Korean cooking to see the photos!
Thank you very much!
i want to know what is the name of this dish in Korean… please reply to my email thx..
It’s called “yachaejeon” (야채전) in Korean. Check the top of this page.
dear maangchi..i really love ur site..
i really curious about zucchini…
i saw some vid, she use a vegetable that physically looks like zucchini
just the inside colour different..(little bit orange like pumpkin).
b’cause i saw on your vid the colour of the inside part is white, or there are another kind of zucchini in korea?
thanks alot^^
My pancake sticked to my pan, so I couldn’t flip it and it didn’t look very nice. However, the taste made up for it!
Note to self: buy a non-stick pan…
I put my non-stick pan in my secret drawer so that nobody else can touch it. : )
omg! i almost broke my pancake when i flipped it! >.<
Thank you, Maangchi!
I just made this pancake for dinner. It is so unbelievably delicious! It is my new favorite Korean dish!
Can I use the mushroom flour I see in the E-Mart? I see an aisle with a couple of different pancake flours and I am interested in what looks like the mushroom based one. What do you think? Is there a difference in the measurement?
Hi Maangchi!
I have one question want to ask you. In this recipes, you used flour for it. So, what kind of the flour was you use? Can you tell me? Also, I really love Korean food, I’m trying cook Korean food now ^^ … anyway, hope you success with your cooking
Thanks and bye
I use all purpose flour for this. Good luck with Korean cooking, let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
Hi Maangchi,
I’m a New Yorker living in Seoul, Korea for the last year. I love Korean food but have no idea how it’s made most of the time. When I leave Korea, I’d like to be able to recreate the dishes I’ve eaten here. So I’m very thankful for your food blog. I love your videos and wish I could do the same on my food blog but I have a tiny kitchen so that’s not possible. FYI, you’re also the most fashionable food blogger I’ve seen so far.;D
Wow, you are such a cool food blogger! I love it!
http://thetravelingtastebud.blogspot.com/
Hi Maangchi! I tried out your recipe and it was AMAZING! I’m really glad that I found your site. I’m an Adopted Korean and have many Adopted Korean friends. We all love Korean food, and I am definitely sensing a Korean dinner soon ^-^ I do have one question though. I have heard of a Kimchi pancake. Would/Should I add anything else besides the Kimchi? Also, what kind of vinegar do you use in the dipping sauce?
Hi, Lauren!
Sorry about my late reply! To make kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake), I make the batter with chopped kimchi (sour taste), and some kimchi juice, sugar, flour, and water. I use apple vinegar. Thank you very much for your interest in my recipes!
Hehe, today i just made this but i think i put too less flour. It looked lke a patch of grass and also i had trouble with flipping. But it still ended up delicious :)
It looked like a patch of grass? haha! Your expression is so funny!
I will try that again, and will let you know how it comes out! thanks a lot maangchi.
HI maangchi, I made the pancake tonight, and it was not like yours at all. mine came out soft not crispy, and can you tell me what I’ve done wrong? I put 1/2 cup of flour like you, but i didn’t have 2/3 measurement cup, so I used 1/3 cup twice~ I wonder if thats the problem.
I use 2 of 1/3 cup to make 2/3 cup, too.
Why don’t you cook longer with more vegetable oil? You could use more flour to make thicker batter.
Hi happymom: You can use 1/4 cup cornstarch + the 1/4 cup flour. I use this measurement in Maangchi’s recipe and it comes out crispy.
Would you know how to make potato pancake? i had it at a korea restaurant and it was very good =)
Thank you for your request. Potato pancake recipe will be posted someday.
Maangchi,
O my goodness, I am so thankful for your videos. I’ve always loved Korean food, and love to make it myself now.
Something I had tonight was this recipe, but there was squid added into the dish. Or maybe octopus… not sure, but one of the two for sure. My wife fell in love with it as well. And she is usually not very adventurous. I keep trying to get her to put the red pepper paste in her bimbim-bap, and mix it up, but she insists on eating all the parts separately… hehe.
Thanks again for the service you are providing to us online foodies!
My mom would make this all the time, she would put squid/octopus (not sure what it is either, have to ask her) and little bits of kimchi, plus vegetables. This dipped in Cho Kanjang (soy sauce + vinegar) OMG mm mm good!!
Hi Maangchi: Can you make the vegetable pancake using whole wheat flour instead of white flour? Also, is there a easy way to turn the pancake over if you don’t know how to flip the pancake over? I guess, slide the pancake onto a plate and then turn over the plate back into the pan?
We had a great dining experience for our first time in a Korean restaurant. We were surprised that along with your meal, your meal includes an array of side dishes (kimchi, anchovies, bean sprouts, green salad, picked vegetables, seaweed, fish cakes, etc.) All were delicious, especially the green saiad – very healthy). Our waitress had to show us how to eat the side dishes along with seaweed, rice and our main entree. It was all good! Can you do a video demonstration on proper dining etiquette in eating Korean foods, including soups and stews?
Also, I know you’re going to say I’m asking in the wrong area, but what I like to know how to make the dressing for the green salad. It was salty and sweet and delicious! I can eat that every night.
I use plain white flour when I make my vegetable pancake. I don’t like the taste of pancake made with whole wheat flour.
Use your spatula to flip your pancake.
Green salad? Check the recipe for seasoned green onion salad here
https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/grilled-beef
You can replace green onions with your favorite vegetables.
so glad i found your site! :D
and now i know why my pajeon always come out wierd.
i’ve been following a recipe that says to mix the egg in the mixture as well. maybe that’s why the pajeon always becomes thick, almost like the western kind of pancakes. lol.
i’m going to try kimchi pajeon for dinner tonight with your recipe, hope it goes well! :D
My fingers are crossed! Good luck with making pajeon!
hi maangchi! ;-)
another additional info about boochoo. Here in the Philippines we call it Kuchay. We also use is to make a stir-fried dish made with tofu, kuchay and shrimps. Some people add it in soups as well. Add we also use it to make siomai. It’s very similar to mandoo without the kimchi.
Is it pronounced “koochay”? Interesting!
Thank you!
Maangchi,
Hi I was one of the people at your NYC meetup- my friend introduced me to your page and asked me to come and since then I’ve tried a lot of your recipes. Pajun is one of my favorite Korean dishes and I’ve made it a bunch of times since trying out the recipe last week. I think the key is a big enough pan- I tried making smaller pancakes in a small/ medium pan but it always comes out undercooked in the middle and not thin enough. Today I tried it with a wok and it came out perfect just like the ones I’d order from Korean restaurants! Thanks for the recipe and demonstration!
Jessica,
Thank you for the good tip!
I remember you! : ) I’m so glad to hear that your pancake turned out good!
Hi Maangchi,
I had buchu jeon for lunch just after watching your utube. I did not have garlic chives instead I increased my zuchinni and spring onions and measured it to 4 cups. It came out perfectly. Was a little worried when flipping it but it came out very well too. Better than using a spatula. I know I will break it if I turn it using spatula. Really like your website, you make cooking tasty food seems so easy and most of all my food comes out good after watching you do it and following your instructions.
Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
regards,
Martha from Hoju.
Martha,
That’s true that flipping jeon (pancake) is much easier than using a spatula! : ) You must be good at cooking!
Thanks for the recipe, I just made it follow your recipe, and it is so yummy, I forget to buy zuchini, but I substitute zuchini with little shred carrot and litlle shred cabbage, I also put scallop. It taste and smell so good, I made two big pieces of pancake, we finish it real fast, next day I do again, but no more scallop, I use Kani (Japanese immitate crab meat, buy from Korean store), It also taste and smell so good, we will made this pancake again and again later, it is our favorite menu now.
Thanks for great recipe ;)
wonderful! I’m so glad you like the recipe. You can use any type of vegetable ingredients. Green onions, Asian chives are always delicious for pancake.
mina,
haha, drank too much?
I checked your kimchi jeon on your blog which makes my mouth water. I should make it tomorrow. : )