Crispy and Moist Rice Shrimp Mushroom Jeon (Korean Pancake)
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Introducing a delicious Pajeon recipe featuring the rich flavor of rice shrimp, the chewy texture of mushrooms, and the fragrant aroma of green onions. Rice shrimp are small and easy to cook with, and their unique umami and saltiness enhance the flavor of the jeon. We’ve used rice flour to achieve a crispy exterior and moist interior, and because rice shrimp absorb moisture, we’ve added breadcrumbs for an even richer texture. This simple yet special dish is perfect as a snack with makgeolli (Korean rice wine) or as a satisfying meal. Cooking over medium-low heat is crucial to ensure a crispy outside and tender inside.
Ingredients
- 200g green onions, washed and trimmed
- 600g oyster mushrooms, tough ends removed and torn into pieces
- 100g rice shrimp (small dried shrimp), rinsed and drained
- 5 Tbsp rice flour
- 3 Tbsp breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, trim the tough ends off the oyster mushrooms, wash them thoroughly, and then tear them into bite-sized pieces. If any mushroom pieces are particularly thick, tear them further into smaller strands for better texture when cooked.
Step 2
Next, prepare the green onions. Trim and wash them, then cut them into lengths similar to the torn mushroom pieces. The fragrant aroma of green onions will add a wonderful depth of flavor to your jeon.
Step 3
Now, let’s prepare the rice shrimp. Rice shrimp are small, dried shrimp, aptly named as they are often mixed into rice dishes. While larger dried shrimp or small brown shrimp can be quite hard and irritating to eat, rice shrimp are small and easy for the whole family to enjoy. They add a nutty flavor and savory umami to the pancake.
Step 4
Add the prepared rice shrimp to the bowl with the mushrooms and green onions and mix. At this stage, no extra salt is added to the batter. The rice shrimp themselves are quite salty, providing sufficient seasoning. You can taste the batter later and add a pinch of salt if needed, depending on the saltiness of your rice shrimp.
Step 5
Now, add the rice flour. Rice flour has a fine, fluffy texture that doesn’t absorb moisture immediately and can clump easily. Therefore, it’s important to mix it thoroughly with the other ingredients first. Just like the famous jeon restaurants of the past used rice flour to achieve that signature crispiness, we’ll leverage its unique texture.
Step 6
After mixing the rice flour and ingredients, try adding a little water to help form the batter. You might be surprised to find that the rice shrimp absorb moisture very quickly, making the batter quite stiff. This is why some experts recommend using very little or no water when making jeon with rice flour – it’s to account for the moisture-absorbing nature of ingredients like rice shrimp.
Step 7
To compensate for the dryness and enhance the crispiness, add breadcrumbs to the mixture and mix well. Avoid adding more water. The breadcrumbs will act like a crispy coating, similar to breading for fried foods.
Step 8
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat until it’s well-heated, then add a generous amount of vegetable oil. Reduce the heat to medium and carefully place the mushroom and green onion mixture into the pan to form the jeon. Cook until golden brown. This is your Pajeon with mushrooms and rice shrimp!
Step 9
Batter made with rice flour tends to be less elastic than wheat flour batter, so the jeon can be fragile. Cook slowly over medium heat until nicely browned on one side, then flip it. It’s important to cook thoroughly to achieve that characteristic crispiness from the rice flour.
Step 10
Your Pajeon with mushrooms and rice shrimp is complete! It offers the savory taste of the sea from the rice shrimp, the fragrant aroma of green onions, and the delightful chewiness of mushrooms. Enjoy this uniquely addictive and delicious jeon that you’ll want to make again and again!
