Savory Pancakes
Buchu-jeon (Garlic Chive Pancake)
Cut the garlic chives into 4 cm lengths and mix them with onion and Cheongyang chili into a batter of Korean pancake mix and cold water. Use only enough batter to bind the vegetables, spread it thin in the pan, and fry in plenty of oil for crisp edges.
한국어로 보기 (Korean version)
Steps
- 1
Wash the chives, shake off the water, and cut them into 4 cm lengths. Thinly slice the onion and thinly slice the chili into rounds.
Shake the chives well; extra water thins the batter.
- 2
In a bowl, whisk the pancake mix and cold water until smooth, then add the vegetables and toss just until coated. Mix the soy sauce and vinegar for a dipping sauce.
If batter pools between the vegetables, there is too much. The chives should look like they outnumber the batter for a thin pancake.
- 3
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat, add half the batter, spread it thin with the back of a spoon, and fry for 3 minutes until the edges turn golden.
- 4
Flip and fry for 3 minutes, then drizzle 1/2 Tbsp oil around the edge, flip once more, and fry 1 minute more until crisp.
Don't press down with the spatula; it squeezes water out of the chives and makes the pancake soggy.
- 5
Fry the rest of the batter the same way and serve with the dipping sauce.
Substitutions
| Instead of | Use | How |
|---|---|---|
| Korean pancake mix | 200 ml all-purpose flour plus 1/3 tsp salt | Flour is unseasoned, so don't skip the salt. Adding 1 Tbsp starch makes it crisper. |
| Cheongyang chili | 1/2 red chili, or leave out | Leave it out for kids, or use a red chili for color. |
Storing leftovers
As the pancakes cool, the oil soaks in and they go limp. Cool leftovers, store airtight in the fridge, and eat within 2 days; reheat in a dry pan over medium-low heat, both sides, to bring back the crispness. A microwave makes them soggier. To keep them longer, freeze them with parchment between each pancake and use within 2 weeks, cooking from frozen in a pan.
Serve with
Dipping sauce, doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew), or janchi guksu (banquet noodle soup). A good rainy-day meal with noodles.
Making more or less
For 4 servings, make a double batch of batter at once, but mix in the vegetables one pancake at a time just before frying. Mixed ahead, the chives release water and the batter turns gluey.
Questions
Why is my chive pancake soggy instead of crisp?
Too much batter or too little oil makes it soggy. Float an ice cube or two in the water to keep the batter cold, and use half pancake mix and half frying mix (twigim-garu) for extra crunch. Fry right after mixing instead of letting the batter sit.
Can I add squid or shrimp?
Yes. Chop 1/2 squid or 100 g shrimp and mix it in with about 3 Tbsp extra batter. Cook 1 minute longer on each side over medium-low heat so the seafood turns opaque white.
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