Chewy Hotbar (Fried Fish Cake on Skewer) with Squid and Veggies
A homemade fried or baked snack bar made by kneading minced squid and vegetables.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
A homemade snack with a chewy texture made with hand-minced squid instead of a food processor, combined with assorted vegetables. You can enjoy them either golden-fried in oil or baked lightly in the oven depending on your preference. Adjust the chili peppers to make it a great snack for children.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Squid1 whole (medium)
- Onion2-3 tbsp (minced)
- Bell pepper2-3 tbsp (minced)
- Large green onion (daepa)2-3 tbsp (minced)
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2-3 tbsp (minced)
- Red chili pepper2-3 tbsp (minced)
- Canned corn3 tbsp
Seasoning
- Mirin (cooking rice wine) (or cheongju (Korean rice wine))1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tsp
- Salt0.5 tsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little of each
- Ginger powdera little of each
Batter
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu)3 tbsp
- Potato starch3 tbsp
- Egg1
- Omit the chili peppers when making this for children.
Steps
These are wooden chopsticks to skewer the hotbar. Boil them for about 2 minutes to sterilize them.
This helps draw out any harmful substances. (The same goes for toothpicks.)
Finely mince the onion, large green onion, bell pepper, Cheongyang chili pepper, red chili pepper, and other vegetables.
The canned corn is missing from the photo.
This is one whole squid, minced.
Honestly, mincing squid by hand is tough work, several times harder than meat.
Still, the chewy texture is much better than blending it in a food processor, so I stubbornly minced it by hand.
Even if it is tiring, you will feel the effort was worth it when you eat it.
Add the minced squid, minced vegetables, seasoning ingredients, and batter ingredients all together, and knead the mixture.
Knead for a few minutes so the seasonings blend well.
Here is the well-mixed batter.
The colors look pretty.
Place the batter on a cutting board and shape it into the size of one portion.
Scoop up the batter with a knife like this.
Drop it gently into the oil.
Fry over low heat until golden brown.
If you cook over high heat, the outside will burn while the inside does not cook through properly.
These are going into the oven.
Line a pan with aluminum foil, lightly brush it with oil, place the batter on top, and bake at 200 °C for 10 minutes, then lower to 150 °C for 20 minutes.
Here is the hotbar made in the oven. The inside is fully cooked, but the color turned out dark brown.
Next time I should try reducing the high temperature.
I am not very skilled at using an oven yet. I need to test it more since buying it.
If you are concerned about oiliness, bake them in the oven and enjoy.
This one is the hotbar fried in oil.
As expected, hotbar really looks its best when it is fried.
Ppunwife's tips
- Fry over low heat until golden brown. If you cook over high heat, the outside will burn while the inside does not cook through properly.
- Season lightly with salt when mixing the batter, and it is great served with ketchup or other sauces.
FAQ
Is there a reason to mince the squid with a knife instead of blending it in a food processor?
Mincing it directly with a knife by hand yields a much better chewy texture than grinding it in a food processor.
How should I control the heat when deep-frying in oil?
Cooking over high heat will burn the outside before the inside cooks through, so fry gently over low heat until golden brown.
How can I make this for children who cannot eat spicy food?
Simply leave out the Cheongyang chili pepper and red chili pepper from the ingredients when preparing the batter to make a kid-friendly snack.
Is there an alternative cooking method if I want to avoid oily food?
Line an oven pan with lightly oiled foil, place the batter on top, and bake for a light, greaseless result.
