By: Lydia Marunowski, Charlotte Davidson, and Madisyn Cleary
Korean Pancakes, otherwise known as Pajeon, originated in the country of Korea. "Pa" means spring onion and "jeon" is a savory pancake, so this dish is a spring onion pancake. It is often made with meat, seafood, or vegetables, and traditionally paired with a soy sauce. Pajeon dates all the way back to 1592 when it was created after the Japanese Invasions of Korea. Pajeon was the "rainy day" food in agricultural history, and it was how the farmers spent their time when it was too rainy to work in the fields.
Some nutritional characteristics of Pa Jun include:
- They provide a large amount of fiber; eating a cup of scallions is 10% of the fiber you need for the day!
- These vegetables are also high in Vitamin C, and provide 25% of the daily needed value in 1 cup!
- Scallions flourish in Vitamin K, and in just a half cup, you will exceed your daily recommended amount.
Some positive characteristics of Pa Jun include:
- All of the ingredients are very cost-efficient, and therefore the dish can be enjoyed by people of all incomes.
- The dish is extremely fast and easy to prepare, taking only 10 minutes and using just six ingredients!
- The majority of the pancake ingredients are household staples, like flour, salt, and oil, so it is a great way to use up food.
- Since this recipe has been passed down through generations, people have made these pancakes in many variations and added different toppings, and can be altered to your taste preference.
RECIPE: Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 bunch scallions (about 12-16 scallions, save 1 scallion to use below), halved and cut
into 2- to 3-inch lengths
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Spicy Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon scallions (thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon garlic (finely chopped)
Making scallion pancakes is easy. All you need are staple kitchen ingredients, and scallions. To make these satisfying appetizers, the first thing to do is to mix all pancake ingredients and mix in a medium mixing bowl, except for the scallions and vegetable oil. The batter should sit for at least 10 minutes to get to a desired consistency. Check that the batter is a bit runnier than your typical pancake batter so that it cooks evenly and cools quickly. Use this time to create a spicy dipping sauce by mixing all ingredients together in a bowl and setting to the side.
Then, to prepare the pancakes, heat a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Once the oil gets hot, use half of the scallions and sprinkle them on the bottom of the sauté pan, until they wilt and soften slightly. Add half the batter to the pan in an even layer. The goal is to pour the batter so that each scallion is covered in batter and resembles a pancake. Allow batter to cook for 2-3 minutes until the top is partially cooked, and bubbles appear. If you want your pancake to be super crispy, apply pressure by using a metal spatula and press down on the pancake. Then, turn over the pancake using a spatula and/or plate. You may want to use more than one person for this step.
Finish by cooking for a minute or two more, adding more oil as needed. Then, follow all previous instructions to make the 2nd pancake. Serve the pancakes hot and spicy dipping sauce for ideal results and for a guaranteed delicious appetizer.
