Vegan Korean Pancakes (Pajeon, 600 Calories, Crispy Edges)
Pajeon is Korea’s savory scallion pancake, traditionally bound with egg and served as a rainy-day snack. This vegan version uses a chickpea-and-flour batter to hit the same crackly edges and pillowy center without any dairy or eggs. One 10-inch pancake runs about 600 calories with 18g of plant protein and 9g of fiber. It reads as a legitimate lunch, not a side.
Why This Recipe Works
Two things make pajeon crispy: cold batter hitting a very hot pan, and a thin layer of oil that lets the flour surface fry rather than steam.
Chilling the batter for 15 minutes before cooking slows gluten development so the pancake stays tender, and the cold shock against a 375F cast-iron surface creates the lacy crust that defines a good pajeon.
Whole wheat flour brings nutty flavor and 4g more fiber per cup than white flour, but it needs a little help staying crisp, so we add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the batter. Chickpea flour replaces the traditional egg as a binder and adds another 6g of protein per cup.
Scallions cut on a 2-inch bias lay flat in the pan and char at the tips, which is exactly what you want.
For a different take, see our guide on stuffed dates dessert recipe.
For more on this topic, check out our guide on vegan banana smoothie.
600 Calorie Vegan Korean Pancakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium red pepper
- 1 medium green pepper
- 4 scallion stalks
- 2 tbsp. corn starch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A pinch of chili flakes
- A pinch of curry
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
Here's the step-by-step process for making vegan Korean pancakes:
- Wash all the vegetables well, dry them, and set them aside. Cut the zucchini in half first, then thinly slice it into medium-length pieces resembling French fries.
- Similarly, chop the peppers to the zucchini, ensuring they are as uniform in size as possible.
- Finely chop the scallions.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch, mixing them.
- Add salt and all the desired spices to the flour mixture.
- Gradually add water to the mixture, stirring well until it forms a smooth batter.
- Add all the chopped vegetables to the batter and mix well to ensure they are evenly coated.
- Preheat a non-stick medium pan and add olive oil. Alternatively, you can use spray oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Be cautious not to use too much oil.
- Once the oil is heated, pour the vegetable batter into the pan.
- Cook the pancakes slowly on both sides over the lowest heat setting on the stove, allowing the vegetables to cook thoroughly.
Enjoy your delicious vegan Korean pancakes!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredient Notes
Whole wheat flour is the default here, but you can use half whole wheat and half all-purpose for a lighter texture. If you want to lean into crispness, swap 50 percent of the flour for cornmeal or corn flour, which has almost no gluten and fries hard.
Oat flour also works but blend rolled oats into a fine powder first; whole oats will not hydrate evenly. Buy fresh scallions with firm white bulbs and unwilted greens.
For the dipping sauce, use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free build, plus rice vinegar and a small spoon of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) if you like heat. Toasted sesame oil goes in the sauce, not the batter, so it stays fragrant.
If you want to go deeper, we have a separate guide on raw vegan breakfast smoothie.
Tips and Variations
Heat the pan for a full 3 minutes before the batter goes in. A drop of water should skitter and disappear in under 2 seconds. Use 2 tablespoons of neutral oil per pancake and swirl to coat the whole surface.
Cook 4 minutes on the first side without touching it, then flip and press down gently with a spatula for another 3 minutes. For a protein-boosted version, press cubed extra-firm tofu into the batter after pouring, then flip; the tofu adds another 10g of protein per pancake.
For a kimchi variation, fold 1/2 cup of chopped drained aged kimchi into the batter along with 2 tablespoons of the kimchi liquid. For kids, skip the chili and add sweet corn and shredded carrot; you can also melt a slice of vegan cheese on top in the last minute of cooking.
Serve immediately, straight from the pan.
Storage and Reheating
Pajeon is best fresh. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days in a sealed container. Reheat in a dry cast-iron pan over medium heat for 3 minutes per side to bring back the crisp; the microwave will make them rubbery. Do not freeze; the vegetables release too much water on thaw.
