Personal note: I first fell in love with these pancakes during my visa runs from Japan to Seoul in the mid-90s. Every few months, I'd fly in with no hotel booked - just a Lonely Planet, a pocketful of coins for the public phone, and whatever was on the hostel notice boards at the airport. It worked the first time, so I kept doing it. Ha... such different times!
I'd eat kimchi with nearly every meal and grab sizzling spring onion pancakes from street vendors. One trip, I found this fabulous bathhouse - I think it was under the Hilton - and had the most amazing body scrub. The older ladies running it all spoke Japanese (no English) from the occupation period. They absolutely cracked up at this six-foot Australian woman chatting away in Japanese. My legs hung over the table... naked like that I had to let all my inhibitions go. I took those Seoul trips alone - which i loved. But I rarely ate alone as I'd meet so many people along the way.
OK so onto the pancakes... these crispy, golden pancakes are packed with tangy kimchi and spring onions - perfect as a snack, starter, or light meal. Goes well with a cold beer...
The key: Use well-fermented kimchi (at least 2-3 weeks old)(ours!) for the best flavour. The older and tangier, the better.
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
125ml (½ cup) kimchi, roughly chopped, plus 2-3 tbsp kimchi juice
4-5 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths
100g (⅔ cup) plain flour
2 tbsp rice flour or cornflour (for extra crispiness)
1 egg
125ml (½ cup) cold water
½ tsp salt
Optional: 50g seafood (prawns, squid) or 1 fresh red chilli, sliced
For cooking:
2-3 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable, rice bran, or grapeseed)
For the dipping sauce:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) or a pinch of regular chilli flakes
½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 spring onion, finely sliced
Directions
Make the batter:
In a large bowl, whisk together the plain flour, rice flour, and salt.
Add the egg, cold water, and kimchi juice. Whisk until just combined - a few lumps are fine. The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter.
Fold in the chopped kimchi and spring onions (and seafood or chilli if using). Let rest for 5-10 minutes.
Cook the pancakes:
Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. The pan needs to be properly hot.
Pour half the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly to about 1cm thickness - you want a good ratio of crispy edges to tender centre.
Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden and crispy. Press down gently with a spatula to help it crisp up.
Flip carefully and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes, adding a bit more oil around the edges if needed.
Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.
Make the dipping sauce:Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust - you want a balance of salty, tangy, and spicy.
To serve:Cut the pancakes into wedges or squares and serve hot with the dipping sauce on the side.
Alternative - with MOCHI (glutinous rice flour)
How it changes things:
Using sweet rice flour gives you a chewier, more glutinous texture rather than the crispy-edged traditional version. It's more like the texture you'd get in Korean tteok (rice cakes) or hotteok - that satisfying, stretchy chew.
If you want to try it:
Replace the rice flour/cornflour with sweet rice flour (same quantity - 2 tbsp), or go further and use:
75g (½ cup) plain flour
50g (⅓ cup) sweet rice flour
Rest of the recipe stays the same
The cooking method is identical, but you'll get a pancake that's chewier rather than ultra-crispy. Some people love this texture contrast with the tangy kimchi. I like chewy.
Tips:
Don't overmix the batter - it should be a bit lumpy
Make sure your pan is hot enough before adding the batter
Press down on the pancake while cooking for maximum crispiness
These are best eaten immediately while hot and crispy, but you can reheat leftovers in a dry pan
In the heart of Central Europe, where the Styrian hills roll across Austria and Slovenia, there's a culinary tradition that's as practical as it is delicious.
