Buchujeon (부추전)

My favorite Korean side dish is buchujeon (부추전), a savory pancake featuring buchu (부추) or Chinese chives. Buchu tastes more like garlic than chives and has flat, thin leaves. It is also used to make buchu kimchi. 



Buchujeon (부추전) (vegan)
Makes 3-4 pancakes

3 ounces chives, washed and trimmed
2 cups all purpose flour 
2 teaspoons salt 
2 cups cold water, plus more if needed
Vegetable oil 
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

Cut the chives into 1 inch pieces. 

In a large bowl, mix together the chives, flour, salt,  and water. The mixture should be slightly runny. Add a little more water if needed. 

In a large frying pan, heat about 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Ladle the chives batter into the pan and spread it thinly into a circle. Cook until the pancake is almost cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip it over, press down on the pancake with a spatula, and cook the pancake for about another 2 minutes. Remove the pancake and wipe the remaining oil off the pan with a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining batter. 

For dipping sauce, mix together the soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl. Serve the pancakes with the dipping sauce on the side.