Joo Won’s asparagus and courgette pajeon with soy-vinegar dip. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. View image in fullscreen Joo Won’s asparagus and courgette pajeon with soy-vinegar dip. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Lucy Turnbull. Korean food and drink Pajeon and japchae: Joo Won’s recipes for Korean-style vegetarian starters Rather than being relegated to side orders, vegetables take centre stage in everyday Korean cooking, as these pancake and noodle dishes show
Prefer the Guardian on Google V egetables play a central role in Korean cuisine, and they form the backbone of everyday meals, rather than simply acting as side dishes. They provide balance, nutrition, colour and variety, often through preparations such as kimchi, namul and seasonal banchan . Our vegetable cooking focuses on simplicity and preserving natural flavour, often using techniques such as blanching, light sauteeing, fermenting and pickling, and typically seasoning with garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and fermented pastes such as doenjang and gochujang. This approach reflects Korea’s long tradition of plant-focused cooking shaped by seasonality, resourcefulness and the need for preserved foods. Together, vegetables create harmony and contrast within a meal.
Prep 5 min Cook 20 min Makes 1 pajeon for two to share
2 large asparagus spears (70g) 1 large spring onion (15g), trimmed ¼ medium courgette (35g) ¼ onion (40g), peeled 1 red chilli (optional) 80g standard tempura flour (or Korean savoury pancake mix powder) Vegetable oil , for frying
For the soy-vinegar dip 40 ml Korean jin ganjang soy sauce , or Kikkoman or any light soy sauce 20 ml Korean apple vinegar , or rice vinegar 10g caster sugar 1 tbsp finely diced onion ½ red chilli , very finely diced
Put all the ingredients for the soy-vinegar dip in a bowl, mix well to combine, then set aside.
Cut off and discard the hard bases from the asparagus stalks, then slice the spears at an angle into roughly ½cm-thick x 8-10cm-long pieces. Cut the spring onion into similar-sized pieces. Cut the courgette in half lengthways, then cut it into ½cm-thick half-moons. Cut the quarter-onion into ½cm-thick slices. Don’t stress about being too precise with the slicing, though – a little thicker or thinner won’t be a problem.
In a bowl, mix the tempura flour with 90ml water to make a batter, beating it until there are no lumps. Put all the sliced vegetables in the batter and mix well to coat – there’s no need for any seasoning, because tempura flour is ready seasoned.
Pour enough oil into a 22cm nonstick frying pan so the surface is completely coated (or use two smaller pans ). Put the pan on a medium-high heat and, once the oil is hot, tip in the batter mixture – it should sizzle the moment it hits the pan – and spread it out evenly to cover the whole base of the pan. Leave to cook for three minutes, then flip and cook for three minutes on the other side. Flip again, cook for a minute more, then carefully transfer the pajeon to a plate.
Serve the pajeon whole, and cut it up like a pizza (or cut it into 4-5cm squares to make it easier to pick up and eat), with the soy-vinegar sauce on the side for dipping.
View image in fullscreen Joo Won’s green vegetable and vermicelli japchae. The choice of vegetables here is up to you – those listed are just what I like in my japchae .
Prep 5 min Cook 20 min Serves 2 to share as a starter
100g rice vermicelli 30g…