Cabbage Pancakes
Appetizers Quick Recipes Simple Recipes Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Vegetables
Last week I tested these cabbage pancakes for the first time (I made the simple version) and they turned out a bit too dense. This week I remade them (in the Japanese version), modified the egg-flour ratio and they turned out really good, this time the cabbage was the star. The cabbage stays semi-crunchy and keeps its fresh taste, so these pancakes won't have the specific smell and taste of sautéed cabbage. To give you an idea, the cabbage tastes the same as in Chinese stir-fries.
I liked both versions, but I lean towards the Japanese one, it's more interesting.
Note: if you go with the Japanese version and use dashi, the dish will no longer be ovo-vegetarian
Ingredients
250g white cabbage (finely shredded)
1 small carrot
3 green onion stalks
5-6 sprigs of parsley
3 eggs
40g all-purpose flour (1 heaping tablespoon)
salt
oil (for greasing the pan)
Simple version
2 sprigs of dill
red hot pepper (or chili flakes; optional)
ground black pepper
Japanese-style version
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon instant dashi
Pieces: 12
How to prepare cabbage pancakes
- Shred the cabbage as finely as possible (with a knife or using a grater like this). Cut only the leafy part of the cabbage, avoid the hard parts of the core. For this recipe, 1/2 a small cabbage is sufficient. Grate the carrot on a fine grater.
- Sprinkle the cabbage with 1 teaspoon of salt and knead until it softens completely (the cabbage volume will reduce by half and your hands will feel wet).
- Add the sliced green onion and finely chopped parsley. If you're going with the simple version, now add the dill and finely chopped hot pepper and grind some black pepper.
- Separately beat the eggs well and add the flour. Mix until there are no lumps. If you're going with the Japanese version, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and dashi (dissolved first in 1 tablespoon of hot water) to the eggs. Mix well.
- Add the cabbage to the egg mixture and mix very well.
- Heat a wide pan very well. Grease it with oil (like for classic pancakes). Turn the heat to almost low.
- Take a heaping tablespoon of the cabbage mixture and place it in the pan. With the back of the spoon, flatten the mound into a flat pancake shape. Watch out for the cabbage "tips" sticking out on the edges, pull them in, they tend to burn. Make 3-4 pancakes per batch, without crowding them.
- Fry the pancakes for about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second. After each batch, grease the pan again. Before each batch, stir the pancake mixture, the egg tends to settle at the bottom.
* if the pancakes brown too quickly or blacken instead of browning nicely, it's a sign the heat is too high, just lower it
** cabbage and green onion are sweet when fried, so it's good to adjust the batter for salt as you go; that's why I always fry just 1 test pancake first, taste it, and then adjust the mixture for salt - The pancakes are good warm or at room temperature. Place them on a plate with the first fried side up (they look nicer on that side). Can be served with sour cream/yogurt (for the simple version) or with wasabi-flavored mayonnaise (for the Japanese version).
Pancake batter
Flattened mounds in the pan
Pancakes frying on the second side
