Haemul Pajeon (Korean Seafood Pancake) 海鮮煎餅

Haemul Pajeon is a popular savory Korean pancake made with a batter of flour, eggs, and water, filled generously with various seafood (such as shrimp, squid, and mussels) and abundant green onions. It's pan-fried until golden and crispy, usually served with a soy-based dipping sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (30g) rice flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240ml) cold water or anchovy broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 100g shrimp, peeled, deveined, roughly chopped
• 100g squid, cleaned, body sliced into rings or strips
• 100g mussels or small clams, cleaned (optional, or increase other seafood)
• 1 bunch (about 8-10 stalks) green onions, cut into 7-8 cm pieces
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 medium carrot, julienned (optional, for color)
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish and slight heat)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (for dipping sauce)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (for dipping sauce)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (for dipping sauce)
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (for dipping sauce)
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes (gochugaru, optional, for dipping sauce)
• 1 tbsp water (for dipping sauce)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic (optional, for dipping sauce)
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)

Steps

1. First, prepare the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, chili flakes, water, and minced garlic. Mix well and set aside.
2. Prepare the vegetables: Cut the green onions into 7-8 cm pieces. Thinly slice the onion, julienne the carrot, and thinly slice the red chili (if using).
3. Prepare the seafood: If using frozen, thaw and pat dry. Roughly chop the shrimp, slice the squid body into rings or strips, and clean the mussels/clams thoroughly.
4. Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, egg, cold water or anchovy broth, and salt until smooth. Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
5. Combine ingredients: Add the prepared shrimp, squid, mussels (if using), green onions, sliced onion, julienned carrot, and sliced red chili to the batter. Mix gently to combine.
6. Cook the pancakes: Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, pour about one ladleful of the batter mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly to form a round pancake.
7. Fry until golden: Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side until the edges are crispy and golden brown. Carefully flip the pancake and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the other side is also golden and the seafood is cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more vegetable oil as needed.
8. Serve immediately: Slice the Haemul Pajeon into bite-sized pieces and serve hot with the prepared dipping sauce.

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