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Vegetable pancake

Yachaejeon 야채전

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

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.

Posted on Thursday, August 9th, 2007 at 7:19 am. Last updated on August 10, 2021.
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186 Comments:

  1. Aronui Victoria, Australia joined 10/21 & has 2 comments
    Posted October 23rd, 2021 at 3:21 am | or create a profile.

    Omgoodness! Why did I never try this before now? Thank you, Maangchi!

    I’ve made some of your recipes before but today I decided out of the blue to try a vegetable pancake. I was chuffed to hear in the video that it’s a good rainy day comfort food, as it was something about the rainy day here that made me think it would be good to try today.

    So simple. So good.

    Mine was made with spring onion, onion, wombok, Japanese sweet potato, zucchini, very thin asparagus spears sliced in half and chopped into 1 inch lengths, and swiss brown mushrooms. The browned mushrooms look and taste amazing. I left the salt out of the pancake because I felt the soy sauce would be enough. This veggie combination was great, but I look forward to trying more with other veggies I have on hand in future. It’s such an easy recipe to always be prepared for. I added some very hot Chinese chilies (in oil) on top of the pancake, and used your dipping sauce. Flipping it successfully made me so happy

    Ah, delicious recipe! Thank you.

  2. Nutellaluv joined 7/15 & has 2 comments
    Posted November 8th, 2020 at 9:30 am | or create a profile.

    Just made this and added shredded steamed chicken to give it my own twist and it is *chefs kiss* delectable! I also recently bought Samjang sauce and used it as a dip and it’s the perfect combination.
    Thanks Maagchi!

  3. suzivj Maryland joined 9/20 & has 1 comment
    Posted September 16th, 2020 at 3:06 pm | or create a profile.

    I don’t think I sliced my vegetable thinly enough. This didn’t turn out like I expected. I’ll have to try again!

  4. MaangchiLove Montreal, Toronto joined 8/19 & has 47 comments
    Posted June 17th, 2020 at 6:12 pm | or create a profile.

    OMG the dipping sauce has the magic ratio! Put some grated Parmesan in the mix. Soooooo goooooood! Thank you Maangchi


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  5. cnhecnhe Singapore joined 5/20 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 10th, 2020 at 6:29 am | or create a profile.

    Hello! Thanks for your recipe, just wanted to ask, if I don’t have cups how do I measure the amount of ingredient I should use? Should I eyeball it? Or can I use a mug or tablespoon instead?

  6. chipmunk1961 Adelaide Australia joined 1/19 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 2nd, 2020 at 8:57 am | or create a profile.

    Made tonight with carrot no mushroom in house and used Sweet potato starch Flour
    It was yum

  7. WishfulsoUl Oslo joined 3/20 & has 17 comments
    Posted April 17th, 2020 at 5:37 pm | or create a profile.

    All I can say about this recipe is that it really was delicious with the spicy soy sauce mixture and new cooked rice:) I had this one for lunch……


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  8. Sauerkraut germany joined 3/20 & has 4 comments
    Posted March 5th, 2020 at 3:26 am | or create a profile.

    I finally tried this and it will be a a staple in my cooking now, especially for my bento Boxes.
    Thank you so much for the Recipe and Video it was very easy to follow along.

    I had mine with Salmon and my self made Kimchi.

    Trying the Kimchi Pancake next! Thank you so so much for these recipes!

    Greetings from Germany!


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  9. moriisu West LA joined 9/19 & has 5 comments
    Posted October 9th, 2019 at 10:58 pm | or create a profile.

    I recognized a “leftover” recipe when I watched the video. I had a few green onions, some leftover japchae (which was delicious, and something I would never had thought I would make), some beansprouts, and half of a Korean sweet potato, and used it all as part of the 2-1/2 cups. The result was delicious, and I quickly devoured half of it. I will be making this again.

  10. rosie61 Germany joined 9/19 & has 1 comment
    Posted September 18th, 2019 at 1:22 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,

    Watching your videos has become my treat after studying or working. Thank you for making them! I haven’t made any recipes yet, but plan to make this vegetable pancake on Sunday to surprise my boyfriend when he comes back from vacation. I can’t wait! I really enjoy cooking new things and it’s such a treat to make the time to do it. I’ll post a picture of it how it goes. Just one question about the dipping sauce, is it white vinegar or rice vinegar which should go in? Over here, white vinegar has a very strong vinegar taste and is more often used for cleaning than eating.

    Thank you!

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
      Posted September 21st, 2019 at 10:31 am | or create a profile.

      You can use any type of distilled vinegar. I use white vinegar these days but you can use apple or rice vinegar, too. Tomorrow is Sunday! What a great and warm idea to welcome your boyfriend by making this pancake! Make this just in front of him so that he and you can enjoy the crispy vegetable pancake!

  11. Maqnas Michigan joined 3/19 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 5th, 2019 at 7:51 pm | or create a profile.

    My son and I planned to be vegetarian. The vegetable pancake was our first veggie meal and it is amazing.


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  12. Ameets50 Goa India joined 11/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 16th, 2018 at 4:02 am | or create a profile.

    Great Recipe.. Very healthy and easy to cook.. I added few more ingredients like Kimchi, garlic ginger squash.. This added flavor to this Pancake..


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  13. Gilbaki Usa joined 10/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted October 23rd, 2018 at 8:20 pm | or create a profile.

    We can’t eat grains , can I replace it with any nut flour? Can you suggest quantity – how much should I use and which nut flour ? And for stickiness can I add egg or flax seed meal?

  14. Raoena Santa Cruz, CA, USA joined 7/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 9th, 2018 at 6:58 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi,
    I love your site and all of your recipes. Recently I have been cooking lots of Korean vegetables to keep in the refrigerator for when someone wants a snack or a quick lunch, or when I need to make dinner quickly. I love how well these dishes keep and how most of them are good hot or cold.

    I have a question about this recipe. I don’t have any nonstick pans: I use cast iron or stainless steel for everything. I wonder what cooking surface was commonly used in Korea before nonstick cookware was invented. I’m guessing possibly well-seasoned cast iron or well-seasoned carbon steel?

    I’m going to try to make this one in my cast iron skillet, which is what I usually use for pancakes and egg dishes. Thank you again for all of your recipes!

    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,047 comments
      Posted July 11th, 2018 at 9:05 am | or create a profile.

      I remember a big festival at my grandmother’s house when I was young, she used the lid of her cast iron pot, turned upside down, to make large amounts of pancakes. So I’m sure your cast iron skillet will work well.

  15. MosesVandenberg Little Rock joined 5/18 & has 3 comments
    Posted May 24th, 2018 at 9:52 am | or create a profile.

    My sister was cooking Vegetable pancake by your recipe and it was amazing!

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