Sweet and Golden-Pan-Fried Baechu Jeon (Cabbage Pancake)
A savory winter pancake dish made by coating sweet seasonal baby napa cabbage in an egg yolk batter and pan-frying it until golden.
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 highlights the sweet and savory flavor of in-season baby napa cabbage, pan-fried to a golden brown. Adding egg yolks to the batter gives it a lovely bright color, while tuna extract sauce boosts the umami. It makes a satisfying winter snack when you are feeling peckish, or a great pairing with makgeolli.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Baby napa cabbage1
Batter
- Frying mix (twigim-garu) (or korean pancake mix (buchim-garu))1 1/2 cups
- Cold water1 1/3 cups
- Egg yolk2
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Separate the cabbage leaves one by one to keep their shape and wash them, then slice off the thick base of the stem with a knife so the leaves lie flat and fry easily.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is a small, yellow baby napa cabbage.
Prepare the cabbage
Separate the cabbage leaves one by one to keep their shape and wash them, then slice off the thick base of the stem with a knife so the leaves lie flat and fry easily.
Make the batter
To give the pancakes a vibrant color, add 2 egg yolks to 1 1/2 cups of flour, then pour in 1 tbsp of tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) and 1 1/3 cups of cold water, and mix to make the batter.
You can adjust the water as you go to reach your desired consistency.
Pan-fry
Coat the cabbage leaves evenly in the batter.
Heat a generous amount of oil in a skillet, keep it over medium heat, and place the cabbage in the pan.
Overlap the larger leaves slightly as you put them in, and flip them over once they turn golden brown.
Press down lightly on the stems with a spatula while frying to keep them neat and flat.
You can also fry the smaller ones individually like this.
Finish
Baechu jeon is lightly seasoned, so it is delicious eaten just as it is.
For pancakes without seafood, I like to dip them cleanly in a little soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang).
To make a seasoned soy vinegar dipping sauce, mix 1 tbsp of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1/2 tbsp of vinegar, and 1 tbsp of mirin (cooking rice wine).
Because it is baby napa cabbage, it melts in your mouth when pan-fried and is truly delicious.
Baechu jeon has always been one of my favorite pancakes, both as a child and now as an adult.
It is getting much colder. Have a warm and cozy weekend, in body and heart.
Ppunwife's tips
- Separate the cabbage leaves one by one to keep their shape and wash them, then slice off the thick base of the stem with a knife so the leaves lie flat and fry easily.
- Add 2 egg yolks to the batter to give the pancakes a vibrant color.
- Press down lightly on the stems with a spatula while frying to keep them neat and flat.
FAQ
How do I keep the cabbage leaves from curling up in the pan?
Trim off the thick base of the stem with a knife, and press down gently on the stems with a spatula while frying so they stay flat and neat.
Can I substitute the frying mix or tuna extract sauce in the batter?
You can use Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) instead of frying mix (twigim-garu), and soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) works well in place of tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek).
How do I make the soy vinegar dipping sauce for baechu jeon?
Simply mix 1 tbsp of regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 1/2 tbsp of vinegar, and 1 tbsp of mirin (cooking rice wine) until well combined.
