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Kimchi is considered to be a very healthy food and is a staple of Korean cuisine. Some choose to have it as a side but with a little work, you can add this flavorful pickled and spicy dish to other recipes as well. You’ll see many restaurants on the Peninsula serving Korean dishes like kimchi stew, kimchi fried rice, kimchi dumplings, and more.
One of my favorites growing up was kimchijeon, or kimchi pacake, a nice snack with a lot of flavor. It’s also referred to as Kimchi buchimgae. I remember the red pancake that has pleasant sour and tangy flavor was definitely beat my spring fatigue and stimulated my appetite before a meal.
Most of the items to make this treat can be found in your fridge and pantry. All you need is just nicely fermented kimchi and some flour. Kimchi is the highlight of this dish though, there are many variations that have different ingredients. Customize to your liking by adding different ingredients like sausage, shrimp, pork, tuna, different vegetables or proteins you want to try.
- PREP TIME: 30 minutes - COOK TIME: 20 minutes - TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes - DIFFICULTY: Easy - SERVINGS: 4
Ingredients
2 cups of thinly sliced fermented kimchi
2 cups of cold water
2 cups of pancake mix or frying powder (buchimgaru) or all-purposes flour
1 tbsp of chill powder (or 5 tbsp of Kimchi liquid)
Some of thinly sliced sausage (optional)
Some of thinly sliced green pepper (optional)
Dipping Sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp water
2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp chopped onions (optional)
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 teaspoon sugar
pinch of black pepper
Some of sliced scallions
Instructions
1. Mix all the sauce ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
2. Slice the kimchi, about the size into small pieces. Thinly slice the scallions and sausages. (If you have some onions, cut it into thin pieces – optional)
3. In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix with the chili powder, optional sliced sausages, scallions, and water. Gently stir everything together to prevent the dough from solidifying. (Pro tip: If the fermented Kimchi is too sour you can add 2 to 3 tsp of sugar, if it’s not sour enough to make jeon, then add 2 to 3 tbsp of vinegar)
4. The batter shouldn’t be thick. It's okay if it's a bit watery, it will help in creating a crisper jeon.
5. Coat the pan with a generous amount of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, ladle some of the batter into the pan and spread it evenly into a thin, round shape. Gently pressing them down into the batter with the spatula a couple of times to sizzle and crisp the batter.
6. Once the bottom is nicely browned, turn it over, adding more oil if necessary and pressing down with the spatula. When both sides are cooked, remove from the heat and serve with the dipping sauce you made earlier.
7. Give it a try and bon appetite or 잘 먹겠습니다! (Pronounced: jal meok-ke-sseum-nida)!
