Super Easy Zucchini Pancakes.

 

I got this recipe from a Korean cooking blog called Maangchi.com for zucchini pancakes. The Korean name for this is Hobakjeon (squash pancake). One day I was craving potato latkes and breaded zucchini with Italian breadcrumbs.  And I didn’t have potatoes, or Italian breadcrumbs. So I looked up zucchini pancake and found this recipe. I’ve made it twice a week for weeks now. It’s super easy, as you only need 5 main ingredients: zucchini, flour, water, salt and oil. Maangchi serves this with a dipping sauce made with soy sauce, but I like it best with just a sprinkle of sea salt right after frying. 

 

Maangchi also uses a bit of sesame oil at the end of frying, so the sesame permeates the pancake creating a nice aroma and flavor. You can do this if you have sesame oil and want a hint of that Asian taste. I only do this when I’m making the soy dipping sauce. You can check out ingredients and instructions for the sauce on her website. I’ll just keep mine simple for now. 

Zucchini Pancake  – makes 1 pancake

adapted from maangchi.com 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups julienned zucchini
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions: 

1) In a bowl, combine julienned zucchini, flour, water and salt. 

2) In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp. oil on medium high heat. Using a spoon, spread zucchini mixture evenly onto the pan. Swish and tilt the pan to ensure the oil is evenly coating the bottom of the pancake and the pancake isn’t sticking to the pan. 

3) After a few minutes peak underneath the pancake to see if it is browning. Using a spatula, flip the pancake to cook the other side (or if you’re a master chef, flip it without the spatula). Be careful with splattering oil. Use the spatula to press down on the pancake every so often. Add a bit more oil if necessary. 

4) When both sides are golden brown and crispy, transfer pancake onto a dish. Sprinkle salt on top and serve. 

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If you’re not a professional vegetable chopper (I think I’m a slow-poke though people tell me I’m pretty fast) this is the fastest way for me to julienne a zucchini: 

 

Chop off the ends and discard them. Slice the zucchini into even, thin strips like this. Should take about 2 seconds. 

 

Taking a stack at a time, chop those into thin strips. 

 

And in about 10-12 seconds you’ll have this giant mess. 

Okay, maybe it’ll take a couple minutes. 

 

In a bowl, combine julienned zucchini, flour, water and salt. 

  

 

In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbsp. oil on medium high heat. Using a spoon, spread zucchini mixture evenly onto the pan. Swish and tilt the pan to ensure the oil is evenly coating the bottom of the pancake and the pancake isn’t sticking to the pan. 

 

After a few minutes peak underneath the pancake to see if it is browning. Using a spatula, flip the pancake to cook the other side (or if you’re a master chef, flip it without the spatula). Be careful with splattering oil. It will splatter if you added more oil than you should (in my case, I usually do). So if you’re a klutz, hold two spatulas using oven mitts and wear an apron and face mask. 

  

Use the spatula to press down on the pancake every so often. Add a bit more oil if necessary. 

Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself and turn it before its a deep golden brown. It’s ok, just flip it over again and brown until you’re satisfied with it. 

    

When both sides are golden brown and crispy, transfer pancake onto a dish. Sprinkle salt on top and serve. 

  

I have two pancakes here because I used an entire zucchini, which yielded 3 cups of zucchini rather than the 1 1/2 cup for one pancake. And that way my husband and I get our own because we’re a couple of fatties. Ok I speak for myself…I wanted my own pancake. Because I’m the fatty. 

      

If you find that you wanted the pancake more doughy/chewy on the inside, add an extra bit of water. If you wanted it less doughy, reduce the amount of water. Fiddle around with the proportions until you’re happy with it. You’ll be making this a lot this summer as people leave you baskets of squash at your door.