Korean Pancake (Pajeon)

In the latest Vegan Chef Training we adapted a recipe by Hetty Mckinnon and used the organic vegetables that we had on hand which were in season. This is a delicious savoury pancake which can include both sweet and white potato.

The white potato in the past has been given a bad rap but actually packs a punch in the nutrition department and is fantastic for the nervous system. Don’t be afraid to add it into your diet. For more information on the mighty potato I am glad people are starting to put white potato back on their plates.

If you have neither of these veggies at home then you can use whatever you have; zucchini, red capsicum, pumpkin, carrot, onion and fennel will all work.

The miso in this dish provides a wonderful umami flavour and gives you one of the recommended serves of fermented foods for the day. The addition of the kimchi provides another serve. Eating three serves of fermented foods a day is a fabulous form of probiotics helping you balance your gut microbiome.

Korean Pancake (Pajeon)

Serves 3 with a side salad

Ingredients

1¼ cup besan flour

¾ tsp salt

185ml chilled water (may need more as the batter will thicken a little as it sits)

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp miso paste

¼ to ½ cup kimchi

400g vegetables sliced thinly on a mandolin – I used potato, sweet potato and carrot (you

can also use zucchini)

Oil for frying

Dipping sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp mirin

2 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method

For the dipping sauce mix everything together.
For the batter, mix the besan flour, salt and water together and mix in the miso paste and kimchi.
Fry the potato and sweet potato on one side until it is brown in oil. And remove to a plate.
Add more oil to the frying pan. Place some of the fried potatoes and sweet potatoes (fried side up) and other veg back in the frying pan about 5 cm wide cook for 3 minutes. Then spoon on a layer of the batter and turn over and cook for up to 5 minutes or until browned.
Repeat step 4 until all pancake batter is used up.
Serve with the dipping sauce.