Spinach Pancakes, crispy

With unfussy ingredients like fresh spinach, onion, and flour, you can make these short Korean style crispy spinach pancakes with a little effort. This pancake might convert a spinach-hater into a spinach-lover. Serve with an unfussy lemon soy dipping sauce.

If we have to pick one green vegetable that we have to stick with the rest of our life (we know it sounds extreme), it would be spinach. No need to think twice! And we will make these Korean style crispy spinach pancakes all the time.

We are sure there are quite a number of people in this world who hate spinach. But for us and our house, we serve the spinach.

Spinach is a versatile vegetable. You can eat it raw in a salad or boiled in a soup. You can blanch and turn into Korean spinach side dish. You can also stir-fry it or even grind it up to make smoothies.

Here is a great way to enjoy the goodness of spinach: Spinach Pancakes, Korean style. You will love the light yet crisp texture of these pancakes, to say nothing of the lemon soy dipping sauce which matches the mellowness of spinach well.

How the dish comes together

Behold the spinach!

Clean your spinach and drain well. Slice them about 1.5″ lengthwise.

Slice small onion thinly. Any onion will work fine.

Combine both spinach and onion in a bowl, and add a couple of pinches of salt.

Add flour. Start with about 1 cup of flour. You might need more, depending on how you want your pancakes to be.

Pour about 1/2 cup of ice cold water.

Toss all together to mix with your hand or spoon or tong. Use whatever tool that is direct for you to do the mixing job. If the mixture seems too dry, add more water. If too wet? Add a little more flour. Unfussy!

This is the consistency we like for myself. The batter is somewhat wet but not covering the vegetable completely. If you prefer more chewy and doughy pancakes, add more flour and water to get your desired consistency.

There is no exact amount of flour vs water ratio for this type of pancakes. It depends on how you like yours to be.

Heat a generous amount of oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Take a spoonful and spread out thinly. Cook about 3 minutes on one side

Flip! You will see the golden crust. As you can tell there is not much of flour batter. We like it this way but if you prefer more pancake-ish, add more flour and water to the batter mixture.

Drizzle a little more oil if your skillet seems dry. Cook another 2-3 minutes to get the golden crust on the flip side as well.

Adjust the heat so you don’t burn the crust.

You gotta eat your pancakes when hot, so that you can enjoy the crispness. We made the dipping sauce by mixing soy sauce and lemon juice together. And it was just right.

Even if you are not fond of spinach, you will be amused by the taste of these pancakes. Who knows? You might be converted into a spinach lover after eating this pancake.

This is the simplest of spinach pancakes recipes. If you like it more hearty and satisfying, add some seafood like shrimp, squid, and/or mussel. Just add them to the pancake batter along with the spinach, and pan-fry together. Savory!

Other Unfussy Korean Pancakes You Might Like

• Potato Pancakes (Gamja-jeon)
• Cabbage Pancakes (Baechu Jeon)
• Scallion Pancakes with Seafood (Pajeon)

• Yield: 4 people
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh whole spinach, cleaned
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 to 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 to 1 cup ice water
• oil

For lemon soy dipping sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, optional

Method

1. Cut spinach about 1.5-inch long pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion, salt, and 1 cup of flour to the spinach.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of water and toss everything together by using a spoon or a tong. Add more flour and water if you prefer doughier pancakes. The batter consistency can be adjusted by your preference.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place a spoonful of spinach batter in a hot skillet and fry for 2-3 minute or until golden and crispy. Flip to the other side and continue to fry for another 2-3 minute. If your skillet seems dry, drizzle more oil as needed.
4. Serve the pancakes hot with the dipping sauce.
5. To make the dipping sauce, combining the soy sauce, lemon juice, and toasted sesame seeds in a small mixing bowl.

Notes

This is a simplest spinach pancakes. If you like it more hearty and satisfying, add some seafood like shrimp, squid, and/or mussel. Just add to the pancake batter along with spinach, and pan-fry together. Savory!