Savory Pancakes

Kimchi-jeon (Kimchi Pancake)

Name: Kimchi-jeon (Kimchi Pancake)
Prep time: 9 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings (two 20 cm pancakes)
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: well-fermented (sour) kimchi 1 cup (200 ml, about 150 g); onion 1/4; Cheongyang chili (or any hot green chili) 1; Korean pancake mix (buchim garu) 1 cup (200 ml, about 100 g); kimchi juice 3 Tbsp; cold water 100 ml; sugar 1/2 tsp; cooking oil 4 Tbsp

Kimchi juice gives the batter its color and seasoning. Heat the pan well, spread the batter thin, and fry over medium heat. Flip only once, when the edges are golden and crisp, and drizzle oil around the edge of the pan.

Prep 9 min · Cook 16 min · Total 25 min · 2 servings (two 20 cm pancakes) · Easy

한국어로 보기 (Korean version)

Steps

1
Shake off the seasoning paste clinging to the kimchi and chop it finely. Thinly slice the onion and cut the chili into thin rounds.
Large pieces of kimchi make the pancake tear when you flip it.
2
In a bowl, whisk the pancake mix, kimchi juice, cold water, and sugar until smooth, then stir in the kimchi, onion, and chili.
The right consistency flows slowly off a ladle. If it's too thick, add water 1 Tbsp at a time.
3
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat for 1 minute, then spread half the batter thinly in the pan.
4
Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until the edges are golden and crisp, then flip, drizzle 1 Tbsp oil around the edge of the pan, and cook 2 minutes more.
Pressing down with the spatula makes it less crisp, so flip only once.
5
Drain on paper towels and cut into easy-to-eat pieces. Cook the remaining batter the same way.
Stacking traps steam and makes them soggy, so lay them out flat.

Substitutions

Instead of	Use	How
Korean pancake mix	200 ml (100 g) all-purpose flour plus 1/3 tsp salt	Flour alone is less crisp, so use ice water instead of cold water.
Cheongyang chili	50 g ground pork	If adding meat, spread the pancake thin and cook both sides well so the pork is cooked through with no pink inside.

Storing leftovers

It's crispest right out of the pan; as it cools, moisture from the kimchi makes it soggy. Cool leftovers, refrigerate, and eat within 1 day. Reheat in a dry pan with no oil over medium heat for 1 minute per side to crisp the outside again. It turns rubbery when frozen, so don't freeze.

Serve with

A dipping sauce of soy sauce and vinegar, and a clear soup like kongnamul-guk (soybean sprout soup). It also makes a good rainy-day snack.

Making more or less

Even when making more, fry one pancake at a time so the pan stays hot and they stay crisp.

Questions

Any tips for crispy kimchi-jeon?

A thick batter or a thick pancake steams inside and turns soggy. Make the batter thin enough to flow slowly off a ladle, spread it thin in the pan, and fry with plenty of oil. Mixing the batter with cold or ice water makes it crisper.