Today I’m going to show you an easy way to make a delicious potato pancake, called gamjajeon (감자전) in Korean. I posted a recipe and video showing how to make traditional gamjajeon years ago, but this version uses a few shortcuts and is much simpler. In the traditional way, we grate the potatoes, then drain and capture the starch to use in the pancake mixture to make it thick. In this simpler version, we add potato starch powder directly, and we use the whole potato.
When you feel like a snack, you can whip this up in minutes. The inside is chewy and soft, and the outside is a little crispy and crunchy like a french fry. The grated onion totally makes it: onion and potato is a good combination! If your children come home from school hungry, this is a perfect snack before dinner. If you have a potato, just grate and make and serve with a glass of milk!
It’s also much better with the sauce, which is optional, but I highly recommend it.
This is the last in my series of videos filmed in Montauk, after my fried flatfish recipe and my scallops doenjang-jjigae recipe. I was planning on filming this one on the beach, but it was too windy down there, so I filmed it on the deck at sunset. I really enjoyed my time in Montauk, some day I’ll go again.
Enjoy the recipe! Everybody can cook this! If you have a potato at home, time to make a pancake!
Ingredients
(2 servings)
- 1 large potato (8 ounces), peeled and grated
- ¼ cup grated onion
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup grape seed oil (or vegetable oil)
For dipping sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (or vinegar)
- 1 green onion, chopped
- ¼ cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Directions
- To make the dipping sauce, combine soy sauce, lime juice, green onion, onion, jalapeno pepper, and sugar in a small bowl and mix it together until the sugar is melted. Set aside.
- Put the grated potato and onion in a bowl. Add salt, potato starch and mix it together.
- Heat up a 9 to 12 inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons grape seed oil and swirl the pan around to coat it evenly. Add the potato mixture and spread it thinly on the pan.
- Cook a few minutes until the bottom of the pancake turns crispy and a light golden brown.
- Turn it over with a spatula or flip it. Add the rest of the grape seed oil to the edge of the pancake. Shake the pan and tilt it so that oil spreads underneath the pancake. Let it cook until the bottom of the pancake turns golden brown.
- Keep turning it over and cooking until both sides are crispy and light golden brown, usually about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer it to a plate and serve hot with the sauce.
Posted on Wednesday, November 16th, 2016 at 9:45 am.
Last updated on November 22, 2016.
Tagged: easy recipe, 감자전, gamjajeon, Korean potato pancake, Maangchi's potato pancakes, potato pancakes, simple potato pancake, vegan, vegetarian pancake
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I just loved making this! Maangchi is the best! xx
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Your potato pancake looks perfect! Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside!
I made one this afternoon to fill my hungry niece’s belly after school. It was hit! Turned out so well I made another one before we could finish eating the first. My husband devoured it. The sauce has a nice spicy kick to it. It’s very easy to make and super delicious. Definitely will be making this often. Thank you Maangchi for sharing this recipe.
You comment makes me happy this morning! : )
I made this for dinner last week and my kids loved the chewiness and crisp of the pancake.
I have 2 videos of them approving this dish in this link. I am not sure if Maangchi you used to feed your kids this way too! Their tummies are so lucky to have you as Mom! :)
http://recipesoftheumarfamily.blogspot.com/2018/08/korean-potato-pancakes-13-aug-18.html
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Yes, it looks so good! Crispy and chewy at the same time.
I just made this for breakfast for me and my dad this morning(I used jarred jalapeno pepper slices instead of fresh jalapenos) and it was so good! Our potatoes(two medium) didn’t have as much water, so the 감자전 ended up being a little thicker and didn’t hold together as well as it should have. Instead, we had 1 smaller 5-inch 감자전 and three smaller rectangular-ish pieces…but it was delicious anyway! I love the jalapenos in the sauce; I had added less than Maangchi had because I thought that otherwise, the spice would be overwhelming, but now I know that the amount she added was perfectly appropriate! :)
감사합니다! 우리 정말 좋아했습니다.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed my potato pancake recipe. I feel like making potato pancakes now for lunch. Why not? I have a potato.
Good luck!
Hello Maangchi I’m an Asian Just Like You And This Potato Side dish Is What I Need For My Project For Nutrition Month In July 31st So Thanks For The Recipe Maangchi!!
can I use flour instead of starch, as I have neither?
I choose this as our food project in school. My professor ask us if it has a demand? And who is our target market? And what is the good benefits of potato pancake? And just in case that we sell potato pancakes, what is our market place? Can u help me?
Hi Maangchi!
I’ve been so obsessed with your website since I found it a couple years ago. I have watched your videos countless times and every time my mouth watering uncontrollably. It wasn’t till this year that I finally mustered up the courage to finally try one of your recipes (also I just moved to a town where there aren’t any Korean restaurants lol) and I can I just say it did not disappoint! I have always been a fan of asian food but you’re recipes have opened up a whole new world for me. The more I try your recipes the more I understand the mechanics of Korean cooking and it’s so beautiful! I am Mexican but now I think somewhere down the line I have Korean in me ;) I cook Korean food so much that I think my 1 year old is confused as to what her own ethnic food is. She eats everything from soybean paste soup to kimchi and everything in between. Today I spent most of the day in bed not feeling well but not so much that I couldn’t get myself out of bed to make this ;) and it was so worth it! It was like a party in my mouth. Thank you so much for what you do, you have changed how I eat and share food with others!
P.S.
Instead of my mouth watering when watching your video, I just get up and make it.
Also I’m a huge fan and would like to meet you someday!
I saw the recipe just few minutes ago and I tried that recipe, it really tastes good.
Much different than the potato pancakes I am used to, but I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the crispy crust with the soft chewy inside.
I loved this! At first I was skeptical about a potato pancake with a soy based sauce with raw onion, but it was perfect. I didn’t have potato starch on hand but corn starch seemed to work well.
Can I replace potato starch with tapioca startch??
Hi Maangchi!
First of all I really love your recipes so thank you so much for the time and effort you put into making them. I try to use them as much as I can :D
I made this yesterday with cold cucumber soup for dinner. I had to use corn starch though since I couldn’t find potato starch easily near where I live. It’s really yummy. It’s also really quick which is helpful since I am a student.
I can’t wait to try more recipes.
Zoe
Maangchi! Would I be able to use corn starch instead? Thank you
Soso yummy! Potatoes really are a gift from heaven :)