Pajeon (Korean Pancake)

I'm always finding half-used vegetables in the fridge--bell peppers, zucchini, etc. One of my favorite ways to use these morsels and simultaneously create a family-pleaser is to julienne this bounty and dunk them in a gluten-free batter to make a version of Pajeon, a classic Korean green scallion pancake. In this recipe I used zucchini, red bell pepper, spinach leaves, carrots, and scallions of course to create a light and crispy pancake. But honestly, that is what I had in my fridge. 

The batter is gluten-free. It consists of a blend of cassava flour plus rice flour and I've added corn starch (feel free to substitute arrow root powder if you are not using corn starch) to get that right crispy outer texture. The key is to use very cold sparking water and to keep the batter as cold as possible before it hits that sizzling pan. 

Time: 30 minutes
Servings: Four pancakes
Level: Easy
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INGREDIENTS

• ¾ cup cassava flour
• ¼ cup rice flour
• 1 ¼ cup sparking water (cold)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup zucchini, julienned
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, julienned
• ¼ cup spinach leaves, julienned
• 3 scallions, julienned (sliced on diagonal if you don’t have time)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (can use grapeseed oil or avocado oil)

 
Dipping sauce

• 3 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl combine cassava flour and rice flour. Whisk until combined.
2. While whisking, slowly add very cold sparkling water to the batter.
3. Add egg and incorporate into batter.
4. Add cornstarch and salt. 
5. Place the batter in the refrigerator until ready to you. 
6. Add vegetables to batter right before pan-frying them. 
7. Heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet to medium and add one tablespoon of olive oil and swirl around pan. 
8. Ladle in about ¾ cup of the vegetable pancake batter and spread it out until even. 
9. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then flip. 
10.  Cook the other side for 2-3 minutes.
11.  To make dipping sauce, combine tamari, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a small bowl and whisk.