Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 120 g spring onions, washed, trimmed, and cut into 5cm lengths
Batter
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 2 g sugar
- 150 ml water, ice cold
Frying and Finishing
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 10 ml toasted sesame oil
Dipping Sauce
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 15 ml water
- 3 g toasted sesame seeds
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 523 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1422 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 292 mg
- Calcium
- 73 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 41 mg
- Phosphorus
- 112 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 30 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 125 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 55 mcg
- Water
- 154 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and toasted sesame seeds to make the dipping sauce. Set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sea salt, and sugar until evenly distributed.
Pour the ice cold water into the dry ingredients and whisk gently just until a loose batter forms. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are perfectly fine. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
Add the cut spring onions to the batter, tossing them gently until they are thoroughly coated.
Heat half of the vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, pour half of the batter and spring onion mixture into the pan, spreading it out evenly into a thin circle using your spatula.
Fry the pancake without moving it for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy, and the top begins to look set.
Carefully flip the pancake with a wide spatula. Drizzle half of the toasted sesame oil around the edges of the pan so it seeps underneath. Cook for another 3 minutes until the second side is golden brown and crisp.
Transfer the cooked pancake to a cutting board. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining oil, batter, and sesame oil. Cut the pancakes into bite-sized squares or wedges and serve immediately with the prepared dipping sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Using ice cold water is the most critical technique for this dish. Cold temperatures slow down gluten formation when the water hits the wheat flour, which is the secret to a light, crispy crust rather than a heavy bread-like texture.
- Mixing cornstarch or rice flour into the plain flour dilutes the overall protein content of the batter. This is a common restaurant trick to achieve a shatteringly crisp exterior.
- Do not use toasted sesame oil as your primary frying oil. It has a low smoke point and will turn bitter if subjected to prolonged high heat. Always use a neutral high-heat oil for frying and add the sesame oil toward the end of cooking for flavor.
- For an impressive presentation, arrange the spring onions parallel to each other in the pan, then pour the plain batter over them to bind them together, rather than mixing them in the bowl first.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store wrapped tightly or in an airtight container separated by parchment paper.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze flat, separated by parchment paper, in a sealed freezer bag.
Reheating: Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat until crispy, or in an oven or air fryer at 180C/350F for 3 to 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Pancake is soggy or excessively greasy
Cause: The cooking oil was not hot enough before the batter was added, causing the flour to absorb the oil rather than fry in it.
Fix: Place the cooked pancake on a wire rack and bake at 200C/400F for 3 to 5 minutes to render out excess oil and crisp the exterior.
Prevention: Ensure the oil is shimmering and ripples slightly before adding the batter.
Pancake is gummy and dense inside
Cause: The batter was overmixed, activating too much gluten, or the pancake was spread too thickly in the pan.
Fix: Lower the stovetop heat and cook for an additional 2 minutes per side to allow heat to penetrate the center without burning the exterior.
Prevention: Mix the batter gently just until wet, leaving some lumps. Spread the batter thinly in the skillet.
Cultural Context
Pajeon is a traditional Korean savory pancake, where 'pa' means scallion and 'jeon' refers to pan-fried battered foods. It is famously and enthusiastically consumed on rainy days throughout Korea. The folklore suggests that the loud, sizzling sound of the pancake cooking resembles the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the ground. Locals traditionally pair this comforting, savory dish with makgeolli, a lightly sparkling, milky Korean rice wine.
