Korean Scallion Pancake

It all started with the Korean scallion and seafood pancake (huemul pajeon) that we had at a Korean restaurant in Shangri-La Plaza last year. I was intrigued by the unique texture of the pancake and when I chanced upon a bag of Korean pancake mix (buchimgae) in an Oriental food shop in Cartimer, I grabbed one.

I was going to make the seafood version but I never seem to have all the seafood varieties that I need all at once so I procrastinated. Then, at the prodding of a fellow foodie who assured me that pajeon (or pajeon or pa jun) is still delicious even without the seafood, I finally made a Korean scallion pancake yesterday. It was so good. Who would have thought that with such simple ingredients, anything can taste so delicious? The best thing is that, after a little research, I know that when the bag of pancake mix is empty, I will still be able to make Korean pancakes at home because I have discovered the basic ingredients for the pancake mix.

Add water to the pancake mix. How much? Start with 1/2 cup of water for a cup of pancake mix. Stir the water and pancake mix. The consistency should be similar to Western pancake batter. Rather thin and pourable but not watery. If the mixture is too lumpy and thick, add more water little by little until you get the correct consistency.

Start adding the vegetables. First, the carrot sticks. Then, the mung bean sprouts. Finally, the scallions. Of course, you can change the order entirely. Or use some other combination of vegetables. But since this is a scallion pancake, don’t leave out the scallions. When all the vegetables have been added to the batter, stir.

Set the stove to medium heat. Pour enough oil into a frying fan so that the bottom is completely covered with oil. If you” are not using a non-stick pan, heat the pan before adding the oil to prevent the pancake from sticking. Don’t ask how that happens, I only know that it works.

Wilted Spinach and fried egg

There’s this spinach and tofu dish we had at Miyabi a couple of months ago that I’ve been itching to replicate at home. One time, I had spinach in the fridge but no tofu. Then, I saw a recipe for fried eggs and wilted greens in a blog that focuses on the South Beach diet and I decided to do my spinach dish with eggs instead of tofu. The result was a very tasty and filling brunch.

In a small pan, heat the soy sauce, black vinegar, and rice wine. Stir in the ginger. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the spinach. Cook over high heat, uncovered (the spinach will expel water and you want to let as much of the water evaporate) until the spinach wilts, about five minutes. Transfer the spinach and liquid into a shallow bowl, top with the fried egg, and drizzle with light soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Enjoy while hot.