Korean Veggie Pancake

Make the batter thin, add a bit of starch (rice flour or potato starch), use very cold or sparkling water, and fry in a hot, well-oiled pan so the batter sets and the edges lace up crisp. A thin spread in the pan and enough oil (think shallow-fry rather than a single brushing) are what turn the outside crunchy while keeping the inside tender.

A reliable base is about 3 parts plain flour to 1 part rice flour or potato starch (for example 100 g plain flour + 30 g rice flour), one egg, and enough cold water or sparkling water to make a loose, pourable batter, roughly 200–240 ml depending on veg moisture. That mix reduces gluten, crisps better, and stays light if you avoid overmixing.

Go with the classic combo: scallions, julienned carrot, thin zucchini, and thinly sliced onion. Cut everything thin and similar size, and squeeze out excess water from zucchini or cabbage so the batter doesn’t become soggy. People consistently report this mix cooks evenly and gives the best texture.

Common causes are too-thick batter, overcrowding the pan, using cold or not-hot-enough oil, and not draining watery veg. Fix it by drying vegetables, using a thinner batter, frying in a hot pan with enough oil to coat, and cooking pancakes in smaller batches so the pan stays hot.

Yes, chilling the batter for a few hours can help the texture and even improve flavour; some cooks keep it chilled or briefly freeze it for a crisper finish. Leftover pancakes re-crisp best in a hot skillet or air fryer rather than the microwave.

Pan-frying on medium-high heat with a thin layer of oil is the classic, most controllable method. For even more crunch, shallow-fry with a bit more oil so the edges fry almost like fritters. Either way, press gently once the batter is in the pan, cook undisturbed until deeply golden, add oil to the edges, then flip once.