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Korean

Haemul pajeon

Non-vegetarian

해물파전 · haemul-pajeon

A thin, crisp-edged pancake of whole spring onions bound in a light batter with shrimp and squid, served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

Haemul pajeon is a Korean starter from South Korea, ready in about 35 minutes and made with all-purpose flour and spring onion. It serves 3 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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pajeon a variety of jeon , Korean style pancake, made with wheat flour, scallions, and vegetables
Representative photo. by Tales of an LA Addict (Abby) at Flickr / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-2.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
3
Level
Intermediate
Calories
449

Ingredients

3 servings

For the dipping sauce

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the flour, rice flour (opens in a new tab), salt, egg (opens in a new tab) and ice-cold water into a thin, smooth batter.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Lay half the spring onions (opens in a new tab) in the pan side by side and pour a thin layer of batter over them.

  4. Step 4

    Scatter half the shrimp (opens in a new tab), squid (opens in a new tab) and chilli over the top, then drizzle with a little more batter to bind. Cook until the underside is crisp and golden.

    • 4 min
    • medium heat
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Flip, add a little more oil around the edge and press lightly. Cook until the seafood is opaque and the second side is crisp. Repeat for the second pancake.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Seafood is cooked when opaque and firm.

  6. Step 6

    Cut into squares and serve hot with the dipping sauce.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
South Korea · Well documentedEspecially associated with Dongnae in Busan.More food from South Korea
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Appetizers & starters · Main courses
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Shallow-fried
Taste
savoury, umami, fresh, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Spring onion · Rice flour · Egg · Prawns / shrimp · Squid
Techniques
Pan-frying · Shallow-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp
  • Contains: Molluscsfrom squid
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, soy sauce
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

449 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 286 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 42%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy449 kcal157 kcal
Protein20.6 g7.2 g
Carbohydrate44.1 g15.4 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat21.1 g7.4 g
Saturated fat2.1 g0.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol193 mg68 mg
Sodium1099 mg385 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
437 mg
Calcium
96 mg
Iron
3.5 mg
Magnesium
57 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: fresh red chilli, sesame seeds.
  • Rice vinegar: Distilled vinegar (FDC 172237) used as a stand-in for unseasoned rice vinegar.
  • Red chilli flakes: Ground cayenne (FDC 170932) used as a stand-in for dried chilli flakes such as pul biber or Aleppo pepper.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Ice-cold batter and generous oil give the lacy, crisp edges.

Common mistakes

  • A thick batter makes a doughy pancake — it should be thin enough to just coat the spring onions.
  • Too little oil: the edges need to fry, not dry-cook, to get crisp.

Serve with

  • Traditionally eaten with makgeolli (rice wine) on rainy days.

Storage

  • Best eaten immediately; refrigerate leftovers for 1 day.

Reheating

  • Re-crisp in a dry hot pan.

Variations

  • Kimchi jeon: Swap the spring onion and seafood for chopped kimchi and a little of its juice.
  • Yachae jeon: Mixed vegetable pancake with courgette, onion and carrot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3, 4

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