Korean-Style Zucchini Pancakes (2) | Hobak Jun (호박전)

So when I linked to zucchini pancakes in my seafood jeongol post, I realized that the post was crazy old and really ugly. Since that post (which was written in 2011), I've updated my recipe and I thought it was high-time I share the update because it results in a yummier, crisper pancake and don't we all deserve that?

Ingredients [yields 3 or 4 large pancakes]:
pancakes
1 medium zucchini
½ onion
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup flour
+ oil for frying

dipping sauce
1 scallion, chopped
2 thai chilis, sliced (use more or fewer depending on your spice preference)
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Start by grating the zucchini and onion on the coarse side of a box grater.

Add minced garlic.

Crack in an egg and mix it in.

Sprinkle in some salt.

And add in the flour.

Mix just until combined. The batter will be v. thick. In my old recipe, I had water listed as one of the ingredients. The zucchini and onion add plenty of moisture so water isn't necessary and I found that by omitting water, the pancakes browned much more easily and were crisper and yummier.

Add a little oil to the bottom of a skillet and turn up the heat to medium.

Slap a big scoop of batter onto the frying pan (about 1/4 cup) and spread it all around.

Let the pancake sizzle for 3 to 4 minutes and flip when it's golden brown.

Let the pancake cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Repeat with the rest of the batter and make a lovely stack of pancakes.

To make the dipping sauce, just combine all of the ingredients together and mix.

I like to use a pizza cutter to divide the pancake stack into sixths or eighths before digging in. The batter is crisp and light and full of zucchini, which makes it healthy, right? Seriously though, share with a table full of hungry guests and enjoy.

Here's the recipe page: