Pajeon – Scallion Pancake with Shrimp (South Korea)
Chef Devan Rajkumar explores street food dishes that feature onions from around the world. In this episode, he recreates the Pajeon, a traditional South Korean scallion pancake with shrimp. Chef Dev shows viewers how to make the crispy, golden pancakes and pairs them with a tangy, spicy dipping sauce made with gochujang, soy sauce, and sesame. Along the way, he shares tips for achieving the perfect texture and flavor balance, so anyone can recreate this popular Korean street food at home.
Ingredients:
For the Scallion Pancake:
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (29.6ml) potato starch
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) water
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 10 scallions cut into 4 inch long pieces
- 20 shrimp size 21/25, peeled and deveined and cut in half lengthwise
- Vegetable oil for cooking
For the Dipping Sauce:
- ¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce
- 2 tbsp (29.6ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) gochujang Korean chili paste
- 2 tsp (9.9ml0 sugar
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) sesame oil
- 2 green Thai chilis, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp (4.9ml) black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp (4.9ml) white sesame seeds
Method:
Make the Dipping Sauce:
Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochujang, sugar, sesame oil, chilis, scallions, and black and white sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
Make the Pancakes:
Add the eggs, water, flour, potato starch, and salt and pepper to a blender and blend to combine into a smooth mixture.
Add a thin layer of vegetable oil to an 8 inch skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Scatter 6 pieces of shrimp and 8 pieces of scallion across the surface of the pancake. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the bottom of the pancake is golden. Flip the pancake and cook for about 2 more minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter, shrimp, and scallions.
Cut the pancakes into triangles and serve with the dipping sauce.