Korean Rice and Vegetable Pancakes from the Pan Recipe
These pancakes are a clever way to use up cooked rice – combined with vegetables and egg, they turn into crispy little patties from the pan. In Korea, similar dishes are often made “out of nothing” for a quick lunch or dinner when there’s some rice left in the fridge from the day before. The flavor is reminiscent of a cross between vegetable patties and small rice pancakes.
A simple, budget-friendly way to turn leftover rice into a new, satisfying meal inspired by Korean home cooking. The combination of vegetables, soy sauce and sesame oil gives deep flavor with very little effort.
Chef's tips
Use cold, day-old rice if possible – it’s drier and helps the pancakes hold their shape better. Don’t overcrowd the pan so they can brown nicely. If the mixture sticks to your hands, wet them lightly with water before shaping the pancakes.
How to serve
Serve with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce, kimchi or a simple cucumber salad. They also work well in a lunchbox with a small container of dipping sauce on the side.
Ingredients
- rice - 300 g
- carrot - 0.5 piece
- zucchini - 0.5 piece
- onion - 0.5 piece
- egg - 2 piece
- wheat flour - 3 tablespoon
- soy sauce - 1.5 tablespoon
- sesame oil - 1 tablespoon
- oil - 3 tablespoon
- pepper - 0.25 teaspoon
Preparation
- Peel the carrot and grate it on a fine grater. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends and grate it on a coarse grater, then gently squeeze out the excess juice in your hands or over a sieve.
- Peel the onion and chop it finely. Lightly mash the cooked rice with a fork to break up any larger clumps.
- Place the rice, grated carrot, zucchini and onion in a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper.
- Mix everything thoroughly with a spoon or your hand until you get a thick mixture that can be shaped into small pancakes. If the mixture is too runny, add 1 more tablespoon of flour.
- Heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. With wet hands or a spoon, form small pancakes and place them in the pan, flattening them slightly.
- Fry the pancakes for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Do not set the heat too high so they don’t burn on the outside before the inside sets.
- Transfer the fried pancakes to a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil. If needed, add a little more oil to the pan before frying the next batch.
- Serve hot or at room temperature, on their own or with a simple sauce made from soy sauce, a little vinegar and water.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
These pancakes are my go-to when I have leftover rice and a few lonely vegetables in the fridge. They’re very forgiving – you can adjust the vegetables and seasoning to whatever you have on hand, and they always disappear quickly from the plate.
