Kimchi pancake

A kimchi pancake is one of the easiest and quickest things to make and is one of Koreans’ all time favorite dishes. It’s hot, spicy, crispy, a little sweet, sour, and a little salty. It is not only a great snack but also it goes well with rice as a side dish, and is great in lunchboxes in place of plain kimchi.

On a rainy day on the weekend, when a Korean family wants something special and cozy to eat, this is something anyone can make using the ingredients we have at home. Then mom will say: “You want me to make kimchijeon?” and everybody will say: “Yayyy!!”

When kimchi is fermented, it tastes sour and pungent with a deeper flavor. All Koreans have well-fermented cabbage kimchi at home, it’s pretty much a staple! We Koreans will always make more kimchi before the current batch runs out, so that means we often have both fresh kimchi and fermented kimchi on hand. Kimchi is available all the time for Koreans.

I made a video for kimchi pancakes ten years ago (including my grandma’s style of kimchijeon), and I decided it was time to update the recipe, remake the video in HD, and include all the tips from the questions that some of you have asked me over the years. The number one question was: “How come my pancake isn’t crispy in the middle?” That’s because you need to use a generous amount of oil, and make sure it gets under the pancake like I show you in the video and explain in the recipe below.

How about having a Korean style kimchi pancake party with your family or friends? Enjoy the recipe and show me some photos of your kimchi pancake day! : )

Ingredients

• ½ pound well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi, chopped into small pieces, plus 2 tablespoons of the brine
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup water
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Combine the kimchi, kimchi brine, scallions, sugar, flour, and water in a medium bowl and mix well with a spoon.
2. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. (If you don’t have a 12-inch skillet, use a smaller skillet to make 2 pancakes.)
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it with the back of a spoon or a spatula to make a large circle.
5. Cook until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Carefully turn the pancake over. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil around the edges of the skillet, then lift the pancake with a thin spatula to allow the oil to run underneath and tilt the pan to spread it evenly.
7. Cook until the bottom of the pancake is light golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Flip it one more time and cook for another minute.
9. Slide onto a large serving platter and serve immediately.