Seafood Pancake, Haemul Pajeon (Haemul Pajun Recipe)
해물파전
Haemul Pajeon, or Korean seafood pancake, is a widely loved snack in Korea. A harmony of seafood, green onions and flavorful batter creates a savory pancake to die for. It's reasonably simple to make, and is also great for parties or gatherings, as it pairs wonderfully with alcoholic beverages. Koreans usually enjoy haemul pajeon with makgeolli (milky Korean rice wine) or soju (Korean vodka). Invite your friends over for a delicious treat.
Koreans often say, "It's raining. Let's eat Pajeon." Learn why Koreans eat Pajeon on a rainy day here.
You can buy buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix) online here.
Cooking Tools
1 non-stick pan (11" to 13")
1 large bowl to mix batter
1 large spatula
Plates/bowls for ingredients
strainer(s) to drain water from seafood
paper towel or flat strainer to drain fat
Haemul Pajeon, or Korean seafood pancake, is a widely loved snack in Korea. A harmony of seafood, green onions and flavorful batter creates a savory pancake to die for. It's reasonably simple to make, and is also great for parties or gatherings, as it pairs wonderfully with alcoholic beverages. Koreans usually enjoy haemul pajeon with makgeolli (milky Korean rice wine) or soju (Korean vodka). Invite your friends over for a delicious treat.
Koreans often say, "It's raining. Let's eat Pajeon." Learn why Koreans eat Pajeon on a rainy day here.
You can buy buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix) online here.
Cooking Tools
1 non-stick pan (11" to 13")
1 large bowl to mix batter
1 large spatula
Plates/bowls for ingredients
strainer(s) to drain water from seafood
paper towel or flat strainer to drain fat
INGREDIENTS
shop these ingredients online »main ingredients | ||
| 2⅔ cups | Buchimgaru (Korean Pancake Powder) 부침가루 | |
| 2⅓ cups | Water 물 | |
| 2½ | Egg 계란 | |
| pinch | Salt 소금 | |
| 4 oz | Squid 오징어 | |
| 4 oz | Clam 조개살 (or mussel) | |
| 4 oz | Shrimp 새우 | |
| 24 | Green Onion 파 | |
| 5 | Red Chili Pepper 붉은 고추 | |
| 5 | Green Chili Pepper 풋고추 | |
| 1 cup | Vegetable Oil 식용유 | |
for dipping sauce | ||
| 2⅔ tbs | Soy Sauce (regular) 왜간장 | |
| 2⅔ tbs | Water 물 | |
| 2⅔ tbs | Vinegar 식초 | |
| 1¼ tsp | Garlic (minced) 다진 마늘 (optional) | |
| ⅔ | Red Chili Pepper 붉은 고추 (optional) | |
| ⅔ | Green Chili Pepper 풋고추 (optional) | |
Good to Know
Do you want it extra crispy? If you like crispy texture, pre-heat the pan with more oil on high heat. Then, pour in batter and quickly cook on high heat until the bottom is golden brown. Once you add the seafood, flip and cook on high heat briefly for the golden brown color and crispy texture. Then, put it on the lowest heat to cook the seafood all the way.
Also, adding less water will make the pancake more crispy. Adding more water will result in softer texture.
Easier way to cook: If you are not comfortable with quickly flipping the pancake with toppings, you can use a different cooking method. Cut green onions into 2 to 3 inches length. Then mix in all the ingredients in the batter and cook in a pan all together. This way you don't have to worry about ingredients falling off when flipping. Plus, it will be a bit faster to cook.
Optional Ingredients and Substitutions
buchimgaru (korean pancake mix): You can use regular all purpose flour instead. But, using buchimgaru (korean pancake mix) will definitely enhance the flavor and texture.
Eggs: Don't have to use them if you are using buchimgaru.
Minced Garlic: You can omit minced garlic in the sauce.
Seafood: You can use just one or two kinds of seafood you like. Also, you can replace seafood with any meat or vegetables. But, remember that the ingredients you use will affect the flavor of the whole dish.
Red and green chili peppers: You don't have to use both kinds. Green chili peppers add a very nice spicy kick. Red chili peppers are great for the contrasting red color. If you cannot take spiciness of chili peppers, try using regular red and green peppers.
More questions? Please leave your questions below in the comments section. We will do our best to answer as soon as we can.
instructions |
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summary |
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Ingredient amounts in the recipe instructions are for the default serving size. |
Click to enlarge photos. |
Ingredient amounts in the recipe summary are for the default serving size. |
1. Prepare ingredientsIf you are using frozen seafood, thaw in water completely before using. Wash all seafood in light salt water, rinse and drain all the water in a strainer. Cut into bite sizes if necessary. Wash green onions. Cut off the roots. Wash and thinly slice red and green chili peppers. |
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1
Wash seafood
Wash green onions
Wash & slice thinly
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2. Pancake mixIn a large bowl, mix 2 cups of buchimgaru (korean pancake mix), 1¾ cups of cold water, 2 eggs and ⅛ teaspoon of salt throughly. if using plain flour, add more salt. Using cold water gives a nice elastic texture. If you are not using eggs, add another ¼ cup of water. |
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2
Mix
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3. Pour batterCoat a non-stick pan (11” to 13”) with vegetable oil. Preheat on medium heat for a minute. Pour ½ cup of the pancake batter in the pan while moving the pan in circular motion for even distribution. |
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3
Preheat Med Heat Coat vegetable oil Pour
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4. Add green onionsQuickly place about 6 green onions on top alternating heads and roots. |
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4
place
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5. Add seafoods & chili peppersQuickly top it with seafoods and red & green chili peppers. |
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5
Add
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6. Add more batterAdd another ¾ to 1 cup of the pancake mix all over the topping and around the edge to fill the rest of the pan. Press down toppings so they are embedded into the uncooked pancake batter. This will prevent toppings from falling off when flipping. |
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6
Add
Press down |
7. CookCook 2-3 min on medium heat until the bottom is golden brown. See above tips for directions to make it extra crispy. |
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7
Cook until golden brown bottom Med Heat |
8. FlipFlip the pancake. If there is no oil left in the pan, add a little bit of vegetable oil around the edge and move the pan in circular motion for even distribution at the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 4-6 minutes until the bottom is gold brown on low to medium heat. |
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8
Flip Add oil Cook till golden brown bottom Low Heat
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9. PlateFlip again and slide it onto a serving plate. |
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9
Flip Slide on plate |
10. Serve with dipping sauceIn a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, water (2 tablespoons each) and sliced red/green peppers for dipping sauce. If you have minced garlic, add 1 teaspoon for a kick. Serve the dipping sauce on the side. You can serve the pancake as a whole or cut with scissors into two bite-size rectangles. |
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10
Mix
Serve |
1 min
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