Food & Drink

Roy Choi’s Savory Pancake Recipe

The godfather of food trucks presents a healthy meal that sticks to your ribs

Roy Choi

Roy Choi is a James Beard Award-winning chef based in Los Angeles, California, and is known as one of the architects of the modern food truck movement.

March 20, 2023 8:23 pm

Recipes that really highlight healthy veggies and bold flavors = always a good thing. Here are two from Roy Choi — for more recipes like this, check out his class on MasterClass.

Savory Mungbean Pancakes

Servings: 4

Copy Ingredients

Ingredients

Scallion Dipping Sauce

2 Tbsp. crushed toasted sesame seeds
2 cups soy sauce
3 Tbsp. gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
½ cup toasted sesame oil
¾ cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 bunch scallions (about 8 scallions), trimmed and thinly sliced

Pancake

½ cup split yellow mung beans, soaked overnight in 1½ cups water (soaking water reserved)
½ cup thinly sliced chives
1 cup tempura flour mix or self-rising flour
1 tsp. kosher salt or coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
½ white onion, roughly chopped
¼ cup water
1 large russet potato, peeled and submerged in cold water (to keep it crisp)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.), to coat the cooking surface
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Copy Directions

1. Prepare the Scallion Dipping Sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk or stir them until they’re well mixed. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and add a little water if you want the sauce to be mellower in flavor. Pour the sauce into a sealable jar or container, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
2. For the pancake: Add the soaked mung beans, soaking liquid, chives, tempura flour or self-rising flour, salt, onion and water to a clean blender jar.
3. Purée the ingredients on high until a smooth pancake batter forms, about 5 seconds.
4. Finely grate the potato into a large mixing bowl, then add the scallions. Pour in the pancake batter, and stir until everything is combined.
5. In a large skillet or on a nonstick griddle set over medium heat, drizzle in enough oil to evenly coat the cooking surface (a few large spoonfuls). When the oil is shimmering, add a small dollop of batter: This is your test pancake. Cook the test pancake until it’s browned on both sides, then taste it. Season the batter with more salt and pepper as needed.
6. Pour about ⅓ cup of batter into the hot pan or onto the hot griddle, fitting as many pancakes as possible. They should sizzle immediately. Cook the pancakes for a few minutes, or until tiny bubbles appear along the edges. Flip the pancakes with a spatula, and continue cooking for 1 or 2 minutes more until they are crisp and golden brown on both sides. Transfer the pancakes to a plate or tray lined with paper towels. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat if the pancakes are cooking too slowly or too quickly.
7. Serve the pancakes with a side of Scallion Dipping Sauce, and eat them immediately.