In a rather odd-weathered week here in LA where it’s been storming wind and rain the last two days, there’s no better way to stay indoors than frying up some golden-crisp kimchi pancakes to share with your loved honeys. Of all things, a non-Korean friend of mine reminded me how you could enjoy it anytime, with pretty much anything you have in the fridge. Of course – if you happen to have some stinky, pickled kimchi – that’s the bomb!
I think every country has their version of savory pancakes, whether it be crepes of France, latke of the Jewish tradition or hash browns of a la U.S. of A. The thing that makes kimchi pancakes the “bomb” is that they have a lot of texture and flavors melded together in differnent notes. You have the crispy ruffled edges of the golden fried batter. A dip in a soy/vinegar sauce, and you’ve got a savory umami cut with the tangy acid. Bite into the pancakes, and the sweet, tenderness of the vegetables, the crisp pseudo crunch of cooked kimchi, all wrapped up in some velvety greasy goodness of the batter – it’s the perfect food~
So have a kimchi pancake party the next time it rains, or just when you want some comfort food to ease your winter blues…
Kimchi Pancakes (6-8 pancakes)
INGREDIENTS:
1 c. (organic) white flour
1/4 c. cornmeal (gives it a nice :crunch:)
1/4 c. sweet rice flour (sold at Japanese grocery stores – I happened 2 have it around – can substitute with 1/4 c. white flour)
1.5 – 2c water
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 c. sliced onions
1/2 c. sliced leeks
1/4 c. red bell peppers, jalapeno (whatever raw veggies you have in fridge would work, well – not root vegetables like carrots or potato)
1/2 c. pickled kimchi (y’all – it’s gotta be pickled/sour/pungent – or it just ain’t good~ squeeze excess liquid and chop in small bite-size pieces)
COOK:
1) Whisk the first 6 ingredients until blended well (don’t overdo it as it’ll get tough – just enough until the clumps disappear)
2) Add veggies and kimchi and fold into batter.
3) Heat your griddle/frying pan on medium-high. Do a water-drop test to see if it’s hot enough. If it sizzles and takes 2-4 seconds for the water to evaporate, it’s ready. Generously drizzle some oil – I like grape seed oil as it’s light in taste, can withstand a high temperature (perfect for frying) and supposedly is better for you due to antioxidants as well as having the least amount of saturated fats of all vegetable oils.
4) Using ladle, making sure to get enough “stuffing” along with the batter, pour into griddle and fry one-side until golden-brown. Drizzle little more oil, flip and golden brown the other side.
5) Make a dipping sauce by mixing 1 part soy sauce to 1/2 part apple cider vinegar (not only is it a natural vinegar, but apple cider vinegar has some sweetness to it which goes nicely with the soy sauce). You can also substitute juice of a lemon wedge.
6) Be sure to serve it while hot and crispy. You can make it sorta like a performance cooking by having party around you while you’re cooking and getting them served straight from the cooktop.
Savor the goodness and watch your blues go away. Bon appetit!
-chef kelly
made with two tablespoons of love; 1 tbsp love for food, 1 tbsp love for life.
