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.
First recipe of yours I’ve ever made! Even though I’ve been a subscriber on YouTube for years now :) This turned out so tasty.
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Wow it looks perfect! All sides look crispy and light brown. Super!
Hi Hi Maangchi,
Thanks for sharing! I have used chives instead of spring onion, also the sweet potato in purple color! The pancake and dipping sauce is gorgeous!!!
All your recipes are easy to follow! Thanks again!
Anita
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You made a really nice pancake, all parts look crunchy and not greasy at all. Congratulations!
I’m making this tonight and have the veggies ready to go. Any suggestions for dishes to have with it, if this is a side dish? One pancake for 5 people can’t be the whole meal!
Ohhh Maangchi,,,, I had so many vegetables from my garden so I took so many green peppers and made this with only green peppers. My husband favorite vegetable. I had to go back into the kitchen and make two more big jeon for him because he love it too much. I recommend to all our family here to use any vegetable you like in many combination, but tomatoes don’t work well unless they green. Hugs and kalbi, K
Hi Maangchi,please I live in Ghana and I can’t get Asian chives,zucchini or seafoods.Can I add tomatoes?
Hey Mabel,
I wouldn’t recommend using regular tomatoes, since those vegetables contain a lot of water/fluid. When making a pancake try using vegetables that contain less water, such as thinly sliced carrot, green onions, or some type of cabbage
Hi Maangchi,
Could I please ask, what is specific type of flour used in this recipes?
Thank you.
Mia
Hi Mia,
It’s all purpose flour.
Thank you Maangchi. I have been looking for this recipe. My mom used to call it record pizza. I was wondering can you post a recipe for Omurice?
Hi Maangchi, I’m a big fan of korean food, and I’ve been following your recipes ever since I came across your cooking channel a few years ago while looking for homemade kimchi. I love the way you make the daily cooking so simple and tasty! Today I’ve tried this pancake, all went well, except that it was perfectly crisp and golden outside, but wet inside. I’ve extended the cooking time, and tried to press it as thin as possible, but by the thrid attempt it was still not quite there. Can you tell me what might have gone wrong?
Yvonne,
Maybe you can try adding less water to the batter, as in general vegetables here in Europe contain more water relatively speaking. Try 1/2 cup of water on 1/2 cup of flower instead and see what the result is?
Hi Maangchi! Thank you for sharing all beautiful and delicious dishes from Korea. I am your big fan for Korean dishes and so far your website still become my number one reference if I want to cook my own Korean food. You made it so easy and simple but the taste is fabulous! Love it very much. Last week I have made this yachaejeon, this is the five or… ten times?? I made it and still become my favorite. Thank you! Thank you! ^_^
“this is the five or… ten times??..” haha, great!
Hello Maangchi!
I was just wondering if it would be okay to replace the green hot peppers with red ones. Would this make a big difference?
yeah green chili peppers are usually used. However if you want, why not using red chili pepper?
Hi :)
I would like to ask your recipe serve how many people?
It will serve 1 or 2 people.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious. I don’t usually add seafood to my Korean pancakes but it was sooo good. I will add it to my blog next week sometime… I’ll be sure to link back to you! Thanks again! :)
Great, thank you for your feedback!
Hi, Maangchi,
I’m having some friends over and I’m serving Spicy Radish and Beef soup, so I thought this would make a good appetizer. The soup I’ve made many times, but this will be my first try at the pancake.
My question is, can I use a little frozen hash brown potatoes in this pancake? Does that sound tasty or too strange?
Thank you!
Hello Maangchi!
I just made this pancake, a nice easy recipe for my first time cooking Korean food. Its super easy and delicious. My only mistake was that the pancake came out too thick, so it was a bit gooey on the inside. Next time I’ll make two thinner ones :)
Heya Maangchi,
We’re foodies and like exploring cultures through cuisine; I found you by randomly browsing on Youtube. Chelsea’s meals could make ya foodgasm but me, Fred, lol, that’s sadly not the case…I’ve gotten into cooking again to give her days off and I must say that this is a perfect beginner recipe for someone like me…I added shredded potatoes for that hash browns effect. I made it twice in 2 days lol. Needless to say, I will try more of your recipes…I’m looking at Dakjuk and maybe a harissa/sriracha kimchi
Fred