Crispy and Chewy Gamja Jeon (Potato Pancake)
A savory pancake pan-fried golden and crisp using grated potato and potato starch.
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 →
This pancake dish brings out a light, clean texture using grated new potato pulp and its settled starch sediment. Pan-frying over medium heat with plenty of oil until the outside is crisp ensures it stays chewy even after cooling. It is great to enjoy as a snack or a light bar snack.
- Servings
- about 1–2 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
- Potato2, 350 g
- Large green onion (daepa)1/4 stalk (4 tbsp, or minced large green onion)
- Red chili pepper1
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Potato starch (or frying mix (twigim-garu), flour)2 tbsp
Steps
Grate the peeled potatoes on a box grater, then drain them in a sieve to remove excess liquid.
Finely slice or chop the large green onion (daepa), Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili), and red chili pepper.
Add the drained potato pulp, sliced green onion, and chili peppers all into a bowl.
Gently pour off only the liquid from the drained potato juice and add just the settled white sediment at the bottom.
Add salt, mix roughly,
and while checking the batter's consistency, add about 2 tbsp of potato starch (or flour or frying mix) and mix evenly.
Generously add cooking oil to a heated pan,
then pan-fry over about medium heat until the outside turns golden and crisp.
Ppunwife's tips
- If you pan-fry with plenty of oil until the surface is golden and pleasantly rough and crisp, it makes a truly delicious potato pancake whether freshly fried or cooled down.
- It is delicious served with ketchup or vinegar soy sauce, but the seasoning is spot on, so it is just as tasty without dipping it in anything.
FAQ
How do you use the juice that comes out of the potatoes?
Let the potato juice drained through the sieve sit for a moment, gently pour off only the top liquid, and mix only the white sediment that has settled at the bottom into the batter with the potato pulp.
If I do not have potato starch, can I replace it with other ingredients?
Instead of potato starch, you can add about 2 tbsp of frying mix (twigim-garu) or all-purpose flour to adjust the batter's consistency.
Is there a heat control tip for frying them crispy?
Heat the pan, add plenty of oil, and pan-fry over about medium heat until the outside turns golden brown to achieve a crispy finish.
What sauce goes well with the finished Gamja jeon?
It is already seasoned, so it is great eaten as is, but depending on your preference, dipping it in ketchup or vinegar soy sauce pairs very well.
