Crispy Buchu Jeon (Garlic Chive Pancake) with Squid
A savory garlic chive pancake pan-fried until golden with plenty of squid and garlic chives.
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 features chewy squid and fragrant garlic chives with Cheongyang chili pepper for a spicy kick. Seasoning the batter with anchovy broth and tuna extract sauce gives it rich savory flavor even without a dipping sauce. Swirling the pan to coat it evenly in oil yields a pancake that is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servingsOriginal: 2 pancakes, 22 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Garlic chives (buchu)200 g
- Squid1 cup
- Onion1/4
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
Batter
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) (or frying mix (twigim-garu))1 1/3 cups
- Anchovy broth (or water)1 1/3 cups
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)1 1/2 tbsp
- I used leftover onion scraps, but adding carrots works nicely too.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is about a generous handful of trimmed and washed garlic chives.
I had leftover onion scraps on hand, but you can also use carrots.
Finely chop the squid to make about a cup. In pancakes, 2 Cheongyang chili peppers (hot green chilies) are a must.
Slice the ingredients
Cut the garlic chives into lengths of 2 to 3 cm.
Thinly slice the onion into lengths similar to the garlic chives, and finely chop the Cheongyang chili peppers, which have turned reddish at the end of the season.
Mix the batter
Add the garlic chives and all the remaining ingredients to a bowl, along with 1 1/3 cups Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) (or frying mix), 1 1/3 cups anchovy broth (or water), and 1 1/2 tbsp tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek). Mix thoroughly so there are no lumps.
Pan-fry
Heat the pan to bring up the temperature and pour in cooking oil generously.
Spread the batter thinly, then maintain the heat between medium and high.
Occasionally tilt or swirl the pan so the oil coats the ingredients evenly, which helps the pancake fry up golden and crispy all over.
Complete
Pajeon and buchu jeon are so much more savory and flavorful when made with plenty of seafood.
It is well seasoned, so it tastes just right eaten on its own.
Somehow it feels incomplete without makgeolli (Korean rice wine).
Fry up some squid garlic chive pancakes and fill your home with savory aromas on a rainy day.
Ppunwife's tips
- Occasionally tilt or swirl the pan so the oil coats the ingredients evenly, which helps the pancake fry up golden and crispy all over.
FAQ
Can I use frying mix instead of Korean pancake mix?
Yes, you can substitute frying mix in the same amount (1 1/3 cups) for the pancake mix.
What can I substitute if I don't have anchovy broth?
You can mix the batter using 1 1/3 cups plain water instead of anchovy broth.
Is there a trick to making the whole pancake crispy?
Add plenty of oil to the pan, spread the batter thinly, and occasionally tilt or swirl the pan so the oil reaches the entire pancake, making it golden and crispy.
Can I add other vegetables instead of onion?
Yes, you can thinly slice carrots and add them along with or instead of the onion.
