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Crispy Kimchi and Scallion Pancakes

By Tracy Pollan, Dana Pollan, Lori Pollan, and Corky Pollan

4.8

(15)

Quartered wedges of scallion pancakes piled onto a serving platter with a soy dipping sauce.
Photo by Nicole Franzen

We grew up eating Chinese take-out every Sunday night, and one of our staples was scallion pancakes. In updating this typically heavy, greasy classic, we add our go-to flavor booster, kimchi, to our version, and the end result is flaky, crispy perfection. These are wonderful both as an appetizer when entertaining or as a main with a side of greens.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    40 minutes

  • Yield

    4–6 servings

Ingredients

For the dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon chopped dried red chile pepper
1 teaspoon thinly sliced scallion

For the pancakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
Kosher salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup cold seltzer
1/4 cup kimchi liquid (reserved from draining the kimchi)
1 cup kimchi, drained and chopped
4 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
1 tablespoon chopped fresh medium-spicy red chile pepper (such as Thai bird or cayenne)
3–4 tablespoons organic canola oil

Preparation

  1. For the dipping sauce:

    Step 1

    In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, dried chile pepper, and scallion with 2 tablespoons water and stir to combine. Set aside.

  2. For the pancakes:

    Step 2

    Preheat the oven to 300°F.

    Step 3

    In a large bowl, combine the two flours, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the egg, seltzer, and kimchi liquid and mix well to incorporate. Add the kimchi, scallion whites, and fresh red chile pepper and stir to combine.

    Step 4

    In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the canola oil until shimmering. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan and cook undisturbed until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until the second side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter, making six to eight 8-inch pancakes.

    Step 5

    Remove the pancakes from the oven and slice into quarters. Garnish with the scallion greens and serve with the dipping sauce.

Cover of the cookbook featuring a salad of shredded carrots, sliced red onion, shaved radish, sliced cucumber, and edamame over greens.
From Mostly Plants: 101 Delicious Flexitarian Recipes From the Pollan Family © 2019 by the Pollan Family. Reprinted by permission of Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon.
TagsPancakeRice FlourFlourScallionOnionRoot VegetableVegetableMainSideDinnerDairy FreeVegetarianEasyCookbooksHarper Collins

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