Easy Korean Vegetable Pancake (Vegan Yachaejeon)
Easy Korean vegetable pancake (vegan yachaejeon) recipe! Crispy, savory, and packed with veggies - a quick appetizer or side with dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the pancakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons potato starch (or corn starch)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice-cold water or plain sparkling water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (if using regular salt, reduce the amount to 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 to 10 scallions/green onions, cut diagonally and thinly
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 small-sized zucchini, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 medium-size onion, thinly sliced
- 3.5 ounces Enoki mushrooms (see note)
- Neutral-tasting oil for frying pancakes
For Dipping Sauce (see note)
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar (or sugar)
- 1 teaspoon Sambal oelek (or gochugaru or sriracha)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Make the Batter
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, potato starch (or cornstarch), seasonings, and ice-cold water (or sparkling water) until smooth. The batter should resemble a thin pancake batter that coats the vegetables evenly. - Add the Vegetables
Stir the scallion, onion, carrot, zucchini, and mushrooms into the batter. Mix until the vegetables are evenly coated. - Heat the Oil
In a non-stick skillet, add enough neutral oil to coat the pan. I recommend using a smaller skillet (around 8 inches) to make flipping easier. Heat the oil over medium-high until hot. - Cook the Pancake
Pour a portion of the batter into the skillet, spreading it thin and evenly with a spatula. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the edges turn golden and crisp. - Flip Carefully
Use a large spatula to flip the pancake in one piece. Cook for another 3–4 minutes until the second side is golden brown and crisp. - Serve Hot
Transfer the pancake to a cutting board, slice into wedges, and serve immediately with dipping sauce.
Notes
- This recipe makes about seven 8-inch pancakes, which serve roughly 4 people. You can adjust the size of each pancake to suit your skillet or the way you plan to serve them.
- Enoki mushroom is optional here. I personally like the texture of Enoki mushroom but it may not be an easy ingredient to find outside of an Asian grocery store. You may substitute with other mushrooms or vegetables.
- Traditionally, the dipping sauce uses gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) but not everyone has this ingredient in the pantry. I found sambal oelek to be a good substitute for gochugaru in this dipping sauce. If you don't have sambal oelek, you can also use a small squirt of sriracha. If you are not a fan of spicy food, you can omit the spicy component altogether.