Crispy Korean Seafood Pancakes - Haemul Pajeon
An epic Korean street food, perfect for a snack or dinner. Get these golden and crispy fried Haemul Pajeon (aka Korean Seafood Pancakes) on the table in just 20 minutes!
Servings 2 pancakes
Calories 576kcal
Cost $7
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Korean pancake mix store-bought, or see notes for a quick homemade version
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 egg
- 1 cup mixed seafood ie oysters, calamari, octopus etc. Thawed, drained and patted dry.
- 1 bunch spring onion sliced and chopped into approx 10cm lengths (substitute with Asian chives)
- ½ cup kimchi finely chopped
- ½ cup cabbage chopped
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
For the Dipping Sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic
- ½ tsp Korean hot pepper flakes / gochugaru optional, sub with regular chilli powder
Instructions
For the Dipping Sauce:
- Mix the soy sauce, water, vinegar, minced garlic (and gochugaru / chilli powder if using) in a dipping bowl.2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp garlic, ½ tsp Korean hot pepper flakes / gochugaru
To Make the Korean Pancake Batter:
- Place the Korean pancake mix into a large bowl and top with the cold water and egg. Mix until batter is smooth. Add the seafood mix, spring onions, kimchi and cabbage to the batter and stir through until evenly mixed.1 cup Korean pancake mix, 1 cup cold water, 1 egg, 1 cup mixed seafood, 1 bunch spring onion, ½ cup kimchi, ½ cup cabbage
To Cook the Pancakes
- Heat half the vegetable oil in a frying pan on high and then reduce heat to medium. Pour or ladle half the batter into the pan and press out to the edges. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, around 3-4 minutes.3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
- Flip the pancake and add a little more vegetable oil around the edges. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the seafood has cooked through and the pancake is a delicious golden brown colour.
- Repeat for the second pancake. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.
Notes
- Korean Pancake Mix – Known as buchim garu, 부침가루, you can source Korean pancake mix from Asian grocers, buy it online or make a similar mix from the following:
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp of rice flour – Note – Avoid using sweet rice flour as it will make the pancake mix a little ‘gummier’ rather than crispy. The most widely available brand is Erawan Thai rice flour. It comes in red and green varieties, so please use the red Erawan packet.
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Seafood – The easiest option is to look for a frozen seafood mix (which usually includes mussels, oysters, calamari, octopus, lobster, prawns/shrimp etc. Always defrost it first before making pajeon. You can also use a mix of your favourite seafoods, or leave it out completely if you don’t like seafood.
- Spring Onion – Substitute with flat Asian garlic chives for extra garlicky flavour.
- Cabbage – Napa cabbage is preferred for it’s slightly sweeter flavour and tender leaves, but you can use regular green cabbage if you prefer.
- Water – Always use ice water or cold water when making the batter, and aim for a thin runny consistency. This helps with crispiness similar to our recipe for Taiwanese dan bing crepes.
- Thick or Thin Pancakes? - It’s up to you. Generally, the thinner you go, the crispier the pancakes will be. We like them to be a little chewy too though, so usually aim for them to be a little thicker and then add more oil around the outside for crispier edges.
- Add Heat - Add Korean chilli flakes into the batter (to taste), or garnish the finished pancakes with a few drops of rayu chilli oil or a sprinkling of shichimi chilli powder. Or serve with Cho-gochujang 초고추장, a spicy Korean dipping sauce made from vinegar and gochujang sweetened with sugar and/or honey.
- Make It Vegetarian - Leave out the seafood and just include the spring onions and kimchi, or add in some julienne sliced carrot and onion.
Nutrition
Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 357mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 5mg