Kimchi Pancake Recipe
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5 minutes prep time
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10 minutes cook time
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Easy
Savoury pancakes are a staple of Korean street food markets. The pancakes are called 'jeon' and are filled with almost anything - spring onions, seafood, kimchi, pork or vegetables. Kimchi pancake is kimchijeon.
Some are made using mung bean flour, or cooked and mashed mung beans, others just with plain flour - not dissimilar to the Japanese okonomiyaki. Though in Korea the pancakes are more simply garnished than in Japan.
What goes into a Korean pancake?
Korean pancakes are a quick dinner in 10 minutes or less. Egg and flour is stirred with kimchi and (optional) spicy gochugaru chilli powder to make a deep red batter. Serve with a vinegared soy dipping sauce.
Kimchi pancakes are a great way to use up kimchi that you have left in the fridge for a little longer than you like, and it is too sour for your taste. We've tested the recipe with the smaller (80g) and larger quantities (160g) of kimchi - if you use less kimchi, just stir in a few extra ingredients for added flavour.
What goes well with kimchi pancakes?
Korean kimchi pancakes are typically served with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar and sugar - and occasionally some fresh chives and chilli powder.
This kimchi pancake makes an wonderful spicy breakfast for the brave. Alternatively serve as a banchan side dish at a more formal Korean meal. And because the batter doesn't use any eggs, if you use vegetarian kimchi, the pancake will also be vegan!
I've included a few additional ingredients that are optional - if your homemade kimchi is very flavourful and rich in garlicky and spicy juices, then just leave them out.
How to get a crispy kimchi pancake
Kimchi pancakes are made by frying batter in a pan. To get a crispy bottom, you want to make sure your pan is super hot. To do this, heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium frying pan. Drop a tsp of mixture into the pan and when it bubbles and 'dances', you know the pan is hot enough.
A lady in Kwang Jang market in Seoul making Bindaetteok pancakes, made with mung beans
For the kimchi pancake Serves: 1
- 75g plain flour
- 1 tbsp corn flour
- 125ml cold water
- 80g-160g kimchi (including juices), finely chopped
- 1 tsp fish sauce (replace with 1/2 tsp salt if vegetarian)
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
If you use less kimchi then add the following to give extra flavour
- 1 tsp red pepper powder
- 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
For the dipping sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (or even apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 tsp caster sugar
Method for kimchi pancake
- Mix together the flour and corn flour, and then add the cold water forming a batter with the consistency of double cream.
- Stir in the chopped kimchi, and additional kimchi juices - or the red pepper powder, sugar, fish sauce, spring onion, and garlic.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium frying pan. Drop a tsp of mixture into the pan - when it bubbles and 'dances', the pan is hot enough. Pour in half the mixture and fry for 3-5 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Turn over and fry for another 2-3 minutes until crisp and lift onto a plate to serve. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil to the pan, and repeat with remaining mixture.
- Whilst the pancake cooks, stir together the soy sauce, vinegar and caster sugar. Serve the pancakes with the dipping sauce on the side. Garnish with the sliced spring onion.
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The pancake is presented on our beautiful Chouseki Blue Gold Plate.
