KAtCH Members had a great time at KRCC’s Chef’s Choice Korean Cooking Class. We learned how to make many different Korean dishes, including Kimchi Pancake. We are sharing the recipe below. Enjoy!

Korean Kimchi Pancake / 김치부친개 (Kim-Chi-Boo-Chin-Gae)

Korean Kimchi Pancakes are quick, easy, and tasty savory pancakes. They are a great way to use up leftover kimchi, and are popular as snacks, appetizers, or drinking accompaniments. Korean Pancake mix can be found at Korean grocery stores, and kimchi can be either store bought or homemade. This pancake is a great way to enjoy the unique taste of kimchi, as the spiciness is less apparent and the flavor shines through. This recipe makes more than one pancake, so adjust, if you want less (or more!)

Ingredients:

• 1 package  Korean Pancake Mix / 부침가루 (Pu-Chim Ka-Ru)*
• Kimchi (amount depends on how kimchi-ish you like your pancake, we suggest between 1/2 and 1 cup, chopped)
• Water
• Vegetable Oil

Equipment needed: Bowl, Knife or Scissors, Big spoon, Cup or other pouring device, Frying Pan or other flat bottomed pan, Spatula, Plate(s).

Chop up Kimchi into pieces in a big bowl. Add half the bag of Korean Pancake Mix. Slowly pour in Water, a few tablespoons at a time. Stir and add water, until the batter part is the consistency of American pancake batter. If you add to much water, add some more Pancake Mix. Be careful when adjusting for the right consistency, or you might end up with a ton of batter! (*Update: the instructions on a pancake mix we saw suggests 500g (17.6 oz or just over 2 cups) pancake mix with 27 ounces water. That makes a lot of pancake, though. Adjust accordingly.)

Meanwhile, add Vegetable Oil to just coat the bottom of a frying pan. Heat to medium-high heat. When it is hot, add enough batter to just cover the bottom of the pan. You don’t want a thick pancake, but not too thin either, or it will fall apart. If needed, spread out batter quickly to even out the thickness, but otherwise, don’t touch it.

When the edges begin to change color, use a spatula to check if it is loose, and pick up the pancake and carefully flip it over. Let the other side cook, checking occasionally by peeking under it to see how done it is. You want the pancake slightly browned, but not burned.

When the pancake is done, slide out of the pan onto a plate. You can cut it into pieces, like a pizza, if desired. Enjoy with this dipping sauce or just by itself!

This is a very basic recipe, so feel free to add other foods as well, such as onion, leftover vegetables, cooked meats such as ham, Spam, or anything you like!

Dipping Sauce

This sauce is also great with Korean Dumplings / 만두 (Mon-Doo).

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbs Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbs Rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbs Sugar
• 1 Clove of Garlic, chopped
• 2-3 Green Onions, sliced thin

Mix Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and Sesame Oil. Add Sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add Garlic and Green Onion. Let sit to allow flavors to blend. Serve in a small bowl.

If you think it is too salty and strong, you can add some water to dilute it. You want it pretty salty, though, since the Kimchi Pancake doesn’t have any salt or seasoning in it besides the kimchi.

*For those of you looking for the Korean Pancake Mix, here is an example. This was found at Super H-Mart in Niles, IL, and does have instructions in English on the back. They have many different brands. Make sure it is the right type – there are a number of cooking mixes on the same shelves. If it has a picture of shrimp on it, it is not the right cooking mix