Bomdong Muchim and Bomdong Jeon (Cabbage Salad and Pan-Fried Cabbage)
A quick 10-minute side dish using one bunch of spring napa cabbage to make sweet-and-sour seasoned inner leaves and crispy pan-fried outer leaves.
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 recipe makes the most of a single head of spring napa cabbage by turning the tender inner leaves into a quick seasoned salad and the outer leaves into savory, crispy pancakes. Seasoning the batter with tuna extract sauce makes the pancakes flavorful and crispy without needing a dipping sauce.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Cook time
- 10 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Bomdong Muchim
- Bomdong (spring napa cabbage)1/2 bunch, 150 g
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 1/2 tbsp
- Fish sauce (or dried anchovies, sand lance)1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1/2 tbsp
- Minced green onion1 tbsp
- Vinegar1 tbsp
- Sugar1 tsp
- Toasted sesame oil1/2 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
Bomdong Jeon
- Bomdong (spring napa cabbage)1/2 bunch, 150 g
- Julienned carrota little
- Julienned large green onion (daepa)a little
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Frying mix (twigim-garu) (or korean pancake mix (buchim-garu))1 1/3 cups
- Water1 cup
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tbsp
- Use the yellow inner leaves to make bomdong muchim and the outer leaves to make bomdong jeon. Gathering the spread-out leaves together before cutting off the base makes them easy to separate.
- Since spring napa cabbage has little moisture of its own, it helps to leave a bit of water on the leaves when tossing them with the seasonings.
- Wild chives are also in season, so tossing some in together is delicious.
Steps
Prepare the spring napa cabbage
This is one bunch of spring napa cabbage, and it is fairly large. The yellow inner part is for making bomdong muchim.
The outer leaves will be used for bomdong jeon.
Gather the spread-out leaves together and cut off the base, and they will separate easily.
Rinse several times under running water, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Since spring napa cabbage has little moisture, it is better not to remove all the water completely when tossing it with seasonings.
Toss with seasonings
Add 1 1/2 tbsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp fish sauce (anchovy or sand lance), 1/2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp minced green onion, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds to the sliced spring napa cabbage, then toss evenly.
Adjust the sweet-and-sour taste with vinegar or sugar, and if it needs more saltiness, finish with salt or soy sauce.
Pan-fry the bomdong jeon
Prepare the outer leaves of the spring napa cabbage and shred them into slightly thick strips. For color, I shredded some leftover carrot and about 1/4 of a large green onion.
I also thinly sliced 2 Cheongyang chili peppers and added them.
Without making the batter separately, add frying mix (or Korean pancake mix) directly to the ingredients, along with 2 tbsp tuna extract sauce and 1 cup water.
Mix evenly by hand, and the batter comes together in an instant without having to prepare it in a separate bowl.
Generously coat a heated pan with cooking oil and fry both sides until crispy.
Ppunwife's tips
- Shredding the leaves thickly makes the pancake easy to tear apart and eat, and seasoning the batter means you can enjoy it deliciously without needing a vinegar soy dipping sauce.
- Adjust the sweet-and-sour flavor with vinegar or sugar, and if it tastes bland, finish with salt or soy sauce.
FAQ
Do I need to shake off all the water from the spring napa cabbage when making bomdong muchim?
Spring napa cabbage itself has relatively little moisture, so leaving a bit of water on the leaves rather than shaking them completely dry makes it easier to coat them evenly with the seasoning.
How do you season the batter when pan-frying bomdong jeon?
Adding 2 tbsp tuna extract sauce when mixing the flour and water with the shredded vegetables seasons the batter well, so you do not need a separate vinegar soy dipping sauce.
How do you divide and cook the outer and inner leaves of spring napa cabbage?
The tender, sweet yellow inner leaves are delicious tossed in a sweet-and-sour dressing, while the relatively wide and thick outer leaves are great shredded and pan-fried in pancake batter.
Can I add other seasonal vegetables to bomdong muchim?
Trimming in-season wild chives and tossing them together with the spring napa cabbage adds a wonderful fragrance that pairs nicely.
