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Yachae jeon
Vegetable pancakes
Yachae jeon (야채전): thin Korean pancakes of shredded mixed vegetables, eaten cold in the dosirak
Korean fridge-clearing at its best: courgette, carrot, onion and chives shredded thin and bound with just enough batter to hold them together, then fried into lacy pancakes. Hot, they are a rainy-day snack with makgeolli; cut into wedges the next day, they fill a dosirak and taste good cold. The common mistake is too much batter, which gives a thick, doughy pancake; the vegetables should look barely coated. Chef's tip: use ice-cold water in the batter and press each pancake flat with the spatula after flipping, for crisp edges that last until lunchtime.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 1 small courgettecut into fine matchsticks
- 1 small carrotcut into fine matchsticks
- ½ onionthinly sliced
- 1 oz garlic chives or spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
- 2 ⅞ oz plain flour
- 2 tbsp potato starch or cornflour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup ice-cold water
- 3 tbsp neutral oilfor frying
For the dipping sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 small courgette, 1 small carrot, ½ onion and 1 oz garlic chives or spring onions in a large bowl.
Step 2: Whisk 2 ⅞ oz plain flour, 2 tbsp potato starch or cornflour, ½ tsp salt and ¾ cup ice-cold water into a thin batter, like single cream. Pour over the vegetables and mix until just coated.
Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Spread a third of the mixture into a thin round about 20 cm across.
Step 4: Fry for 3 minutes, until the underside is golden and crisp at the edges, then flip, press flat and fry for 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining 2 tbsp neutral oil and mixture.
15 minStep 5: Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and ½ tsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru) for dipping.
Step 6: Drain on a rack so the pancakes stay crisp. Cool, cut into wedges and pack with the dipping sauce in a small pot; eat within the day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yachae jeon take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of courgette?
- Cucumber, same weight (raw dishes only).
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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