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Korean Scallion and Leek Crispy Mini Pancakes (Gluten Free)

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: korean
Keyword: baking soda, garlic powder, gluten free, gluten free soy sauce, granulated sugar, leeks, onion powder, rice flour, rice vinegar, scallions, sesame oil, sparkling water, tapioca flour, water
Servings: 8 pancakes
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Batter:

  • 5 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 cup scallions ends trimmed, dry thoroughly, cut into 2” pieces, if scallions are large you may need to cut them in half vertically and then cut into pieces
  • 1 large leek washed, dried, cut into thin rounds
  • ½ cup rice flour
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca flour also known as tapioca starch
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ cup very cold tap water, club soda or sparkling water (if batter is too thick, add additional 1/4 cup liquid)

Dipping sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce I use San-J
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar granulated
  • 1 teaspoon scallion finely chopped into rounds
  • Toasted sesame seeds optional

Instructions

Batter:

  • Combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and water/bubbly water in a large bowl. Then add the scallions and leeks to the batter and mix until combined. Do not over mix.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan with oil over medium-high heat and once heated, spoon in approximately 2 tablespoons of batter with scallion and leek pieces into the pan, trying not to have the pancakes touch each other. To do this, you'll most likely need to make two batches, four pancakes in each.
  • Reduce to medium heat and fry until the bottoms are crispy golden brown and the onions are slightly charred with small bubbles forming all over the pancake, about 2 minutes for the first side. Then carefully flip the pancakes (add more oil if necessary) and cook for an additional minute, or until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy.
  • Transfer pancakes to a plate lined with a paper towel and repeat steps 2 & 3.

Dipping Sauce:

  • While the pancakes are cooking, make the dipping sauce. Place gluten free soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, scallions, and sesame seeds (if desired) in a small bowl. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside until ready to serve.

Assembly

  • Lastly, place the pancakes on a plate or platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

Notes

It's also possible to make one large pancake which is often how many restaurants do it. Place all of the batter into the pre-heated pan and cook for 3-5 mins on the first side and 2-3 mins on the other side. The hard part with making one large pancake is flipping it. It requires 2 large spatulas and even then the pancake may rip but that's ok because it will still taste amazing and you'll be cutting it into pieces to serve.
Sparkling water (club soda or bubbly water) creates a light, airy batter. But if all you have is plain tap water the batter will still be awesome.
It's easy to double this recipe.
These pancakes freeze beautifully. Once they cool, wrap in foil and freeze. To reheat, let pancakes defrost and then place in the air fryer on 400 degrees for 3 mins on one side and then flip and cook for another 2 mins. Five minutes total. You may be able to put them in the air fryer while still frozen but I haven't tried that...yet!