These addictive pancakes are almost crêpelike in their crisp and chewy texture. That texture — crisp on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside — is best if you use half rice flour, which is pretty easy to find these days. Serve the pancakes hot or at room temperature with Korean-Style Soy and Sesame Dipping Sauce and Marinade (page 656), or a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar.
Other vegetables you can use: corn kernels, radish (especially daikon), or broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (preferably 1 cup all-purpose plus 1 cup rice flour, or use all-purpose)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon good-quality vegetable oil, plus more for
- frying
- 5 scallions (green parts only), cut into 3-inch pieces and
- sliced lengthwise
- 20 chives (preferably Chinese — “garlic” — chives), cut
- into 2-inch lengths, or ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 small yellow squash or zucchini, grated
How to Make It
- Mix the flour, eggs, and 1 tablespoon oil with 1½ cups water until a smooth batter is formed.
- Add the scallions, chives, carrots, and squash and stir to combine. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and pour in about ⅛ inch oil.
- When it’s hot, ladle in a quarter of the batter and spread it out evenly into a circle. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the bottom is browned, about 5 minutes. Then flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil if necessary.
- As the pancakes finish, remove them and, if necessary, drain on paper towels. Cut into small triangles and serve with a soy dipping sauce.
- CRISPY KIMCHI PANCAKES Spicy: Use kimchi liquid in place of some or all of the water in Step 1. Add about 1 cup chopped Kimchi (page 93) to the batter.
- JAPANESE VEGETABLE PANCAKES (OKONOMIYAKI) These large pancakes make a spectacular entrée: Use only ½ cup flour and increase the eggs to 6. Use 5 to 6 cups total shredded green cabbage in place of the chives, carrots, and squash. Fry in pan-sized pancakes or smaller-sized. Serve with Chile Mayonnaise (page 671).
