Korean Vegetable Pancake with Bacon

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I was taking my Saturday morning coffee in bed (alright, I will be honest: it was closer to midday, but it was my wake up coffee), scrolling through Youtube channels I am subscribed to when I saw Maangchi’s vegetable pancake. It looked so good, about 15 minutes later I was in the kitchen preparing my own variation of this pancake for brunch! Apart from the taste and texture I loved, there are so many reasons I’ll be making this pancake again and again and again… It’s quick, it’s easy, it can be made with any vegetables I have, it’s healthy, almost equally good when slightly reheated… Just have a look at the recipe and you’ll understand why I’m so enthusiastic!

TIPS: As I’ve mentioned, I have slightly modified the recipe, most of all the basic batter, adding some glutinous rice flour (appearing in some other Korean pancake recipes) because I love slightly chewy pancakes. Stick to the wheat flour if you are not a fan of chewy textures. I’ve also skipped some vegetables, replaced the mushroom and didn’t respect Maangchi’s ingredients’ amounts… in short I strongly encourage you to check here her original recipe explained in a fantastic video!

The below amounts can be changed; if you see the batter is too thin, add more flour; if you think there’s not enough vegetables add some (the pancake’s main part should be vegetables, not the batter).

You can add any vegetable you like, but make sure there’s at least one that will keep crunchy after the cooking (carrot is perfect here). The mixture of textures is very pleasant. Green onions seem to be essential to every vegetable or seafood Korean pancake I’ve seen, so don’t skip them!

This pancake can be made of course into a vegetarian dish: you can add mushroom slices instead of bacon (such is, actually, Maangchi’s recipe).

Pan size: the below amounts made two rather thick pancakes prepared on a small 20 cm pan.

Preparation: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two as a very light meal, a snack, a starter or a rather filling breakfast):

8 paper thin (sliced like raw ham) slices of smoked bacon

1/2 cup/125 ml white wheat flour

4 heaped tablespoons glutinous rice flour (replace with wheat flour if you don’t like chewy textures)

3/4 cup/about 180 ml cold water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium courgette

1 medium carrot

a bunch of green onions

1 medium onion (I’ve used two rather big white young onion heads from the bunch of green onions)

1 medium hot green fresh chilli (for example jalapeño)

Dipping sauce:

soy sauce, preferably low-salt

rice vinegar (1/2 the amount of soy sauce)

toasted white sesame seeds

(Korean chilli flakes)

Slice finely the chilli pepper and the onion head. Cut up all the remaining vegetables to thick matchsticks (3.5-4cm/about 1 1/2 inches long and approx. 1cm/0.4 in thick). Do not peel the courgette: the skin will keep it crunchier.

Cut up the bacon slices into bite-sized pieces.

Fill a big bowl with the flour(s), water and salt. Mix well with a fork.

Add the vegetables (do not add the bacon!).

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan.

Spoon onto it 1/2 of the pancake mixture, making sure it keeps together.

Cover with pieces of bacon and put a lid on it.

Fry at medium heat for about five minutes. If you see the batter has set on top, you can flip the pancake and fry it at slightly higher heat for another 3 minutes.

Place onto a plate, bacon side up. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Published by Sissi

20 Replies to “Korean Vegetable Pancake with Bacon”

  3. I made your Japanese pancakes for lunch yesterday and they were a huge success. In fact, my husband took out his phone and added it to the list of “what to have when we don’t know what to have for lunch or dinner!” I love this one too, so I’ll try it with your glutenous rice flour suggestion.

    1. Eva, thank you once again, for this kind comment and feedback! I’m really glad to share the recipes I love and even happier to learn a friend trusted me, made them and liked the results too! I also treat okonomiyaki like the food I prepare when I want something good, but have no idea… then it’s just a question of getting hold of some cabbage, haha!
      This pancake is even easier and can really be made with any vegetables you have in the fridge. (Actually I made it yesterday once more for brunch, with slightly different vegetables and it was as good as the first time!).

  4. Midmorning coffee in bed? What a nice treat! Of course I have to say that I find it interesting that you are already scrolling through food porn before you get out of bed. 🙂
    I do love all of your savory pancakes and love that you keep coming up with new variations. This one does look like the perfect pancakes to start your day with. Veggies and proteins – hard to beat.

    1. Dear MJ, this is my regular weekend morning activity! Thank you so much for the compliments! (The original recipe didn’t contain any bacon or meat, but everything tastes better with bacon, so…).

      1. BTW -I made this last week and it was delicious! Substituted the courgette with thinly sliced cabbage ad definitely added the bacon. YUM!!!! Thanks for another great pancake!

        1. Thank you so much, MJ! I’m so happy you liked the pancake!!! It’s so kind of you to write to me about it!

  7. This looks incredibly delicious Sissi! I really like how you integrate the vegetables into the pancake – amazing to think that it’s loaded with zuch and carrots, that is just so cool. Are those the Korean chili flakes I’m admiring on the side? My kind of meal… (my husband would adore this too!)

    1. Thank you so much, Kelly! This pancake is so good, one forgets quickly it’s so loaded with vegetables! Yes! These are the famous Korean chilli flakes! They made a perfect dipping sauce with other ingredients.

  8. Coffee in bed! Haven’t had that in 11 years, ever since I have kids. 🙂 I am a bit jealous here. 🙂 🙂 This vegetable pancake looks great, definitely something I would want to cook immediately myself.

    1. Thank you so much, Adina! I have been drinking coffee in bed with a book (or now a phone too) since I was a teenager (though it’s quite short during the week)! I had no idea it was such a luxury, haha!

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