Kimchijeon (Kimchi Pancake)
Korea's rainy-day pancake: a thin flour-and-egg batter packed with sour ripe kimchi, pan-fried crisp at the edges. Served with a soy-vinegar dip.
Overview
Well-fermented sour kimchi is chopped fine; the juice is reserved. A batter of plain flour, an egg, water and kimchi juice is mixed thin (consistency of pancake batter). Kimchi and chopped spring onion are stirred in. Half the batter is poured into a hot oiled pan, spread thin, fried for 4 minutes; flipped with a confident wrist or a wide spatula; fried another 3 minutes. Cut into wedges; eaten with soy-vinegar dip.
Ingredients
Pancake
- 200 g well-fermented kimchi (sour is better than fresh - old kimchi is gold)
- 4 tablespoons kimchi juice (squeezed from the kimchi)
- 100 g plain flour
- 1 tablespoon sweet rice flour (optional, for chewier texture)
- 1 egg (large)
- 120 ml ice-cold water (or sparkling water for crisper edges)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 spring onions (sliced thin)
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil (for frying - split between 2 pancakes)
Dipping sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 spring onion (sliced thin)
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru (optional)
Method
Stage 1 - Prep kimchi
- Squeeze the kimchi over a small bowl to release 4 tablespoons of juice; reserve.
- Chop the squeezed kimchi roughly (1-2 cm pieces, not fine).
Stage 2 - Batter
- In a wide bowl, whisk the plain flour, sweet rice flour and sugar.
- Whisk in the egg, the reserved kimchi juice and the ice-cold water.
- The batter should be smooth and thin - runnier than American pancake batter, like crepe batter.
- Stir in the chopped kimchi and sliced spring onions.
Stage 3 - Dipping sauce
- Combine the soy, vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, minced garlic, spring onion and optional gochugaru in a small bowl.
- Whisk; rest 5 minutes for flavours to meld.
Stage 4 - Fry
- Heat a wide non-stick or cast-iron pan (25-28 cm) over medium-high heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil; swirl to coat.
- Pour half the batter into the pan; spread with the back of a spoon to a thin even circle (the pan should be just covered).
- Cook 3-4 minutes; the edges should crisp brown and the surface set.
- Lift an edge with a spatula to check - if deep gold underneath, flip.
- Flip method: slide pancake onto a flat plate, invert the pan over the plate, flip the whole thing. Or use two large spatulas.
- Cook another 2-3 minutes till the second side is gold.
Stage 5 - Repeat
- Slide the pancake onto a board.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan; cook the second pancake the same way.
Stage 6 - Serve
- Cut each pancake into 8 wedges with a knife or scissors (Korean cooks use kitchen scissors).
- Pile on a plate.
- Serve hot with the dipping sauce in a small bowl in the centre.
Notes
- Old sour kimchi is best: fresh kimchi gives a milder pancake. Kimchi that's been in the fridge 2+ weeks has the deep fermented flavour that defines kimchijeon. If your kimchi is too fresh, leave it out for a day to sour.
- Cold water in the batter: keeps gluten development minimal and gives lacy crisp edges. Some Korean cooks use ice-cold sparkling water for extra crisp.
- Don't make the pancake too thick: thin batter spread thin gives the crisp-edged kimchijeon you want. Thick batter pancakes go bready in the middle.
- Big pan, oily pan, hot pan: the three rules. Skimp on any and the pancake won't crisp.
Storage
- Best within an hour of cooking.
- Reheats well in a hot dry pan 1 minute per side; revives the crisp.
- Keep cooked pancakes 1 day refrigerated.
- Don't microwave - turns gummy.
More like this
Indonesian Mee Goreng
Fresh egg noodles tossed in a glossy, sweet-savoury sauce of kecap manis, soy, ketchup, sesame oil and shrimp paste, with pork, prawns, cabbage and bean sprouts. The dish is finished with thin egg ribbons and a scatter of spring onion. Quick to cook once the components are prepped, but rewards a properly hot wok and a sauce mixed in advance.
Kanom Jeeb
A filling of minced pork and chopped prawn binds with coriander root (pounded with garlic and white pepper into the traditional Thai "rak pak chee" paste), oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and a beaten egg. The mixture chills for 20 minutes to firm. Square wonton wrappers go around the filling cupcake-style: filling in the centre, edges pulled up and pleated open around the meat, top brushed with a tiny smear of beaten egg and topped with a thin slice of carrot. Steamed in a bamboo basket over boiling water for 8 minutes. Dip is black soy sauce with sliced chilli and rice vinegar.
Lamb Pasties
A Cornish-inspired pastry parcel filled with seasoned lamb, tender vegetables, and a rich, savory gravy. These hand-held pastries are perfect for portable meals, picnics, or as a sophisticated starter. The flaky shortcrust pastry encloses a deeply flavorful filling, a British classic that's remarkably easy to prepare at home.
Martabak Telur
A simple flour-water-oil dough rests for 1 hour (gluten relaxes; will roll paper-thin). Filling: beef mince cooks with shallot, garlic, ginger, curry-leaf, ground spices till dry and aromatic; cools; mixes with beaten eggs, spring onion and chopped coriander just before frying. Dough divides; each portion stretches paper-thin like a strudel; filling spoons in the centre; the edges fold over to make a flat square parcel; pan-fries for 3 minutes per side. Cuts in quarters; eats with chilli-pickle sauce.