Crispy Minari Jeon (Water Dropwort Pancake) with Squid
A crispy pancake made by pan-frying fragrant in-season water dropwort and chewy squid thinly.
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 recipe pairs in-season water dropwort with minced squid to highlight its fragrant aroma and chewy texture. Adding an egg yolk to the batter gives it a lovely color, while tuna extract sauce adds rich umami. Spread thinly in a pan and fried crispy over high heat, it makes an excellent pairing for makgeolli.
- Servings
- about 2 servingsOriginal: 2 pancakes, 20 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Water dropwort (minari)100 g
- Squid1/2 cup (minced)
- Red Cheongyang chili pepper2
Batter
- Egg yolk1
- Frying mix (twigim-garu) (or korean pancake mix (buchim-garu))2/3 cup
- Anchovy broth (or water)2/3 cup
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tsp
- You can use dried shrimp instead of squid, or prepare about 1/5 of a carrot instead of the chili pepper.
- Instead of 2 small red Cheongyang chili peppers, 1 large one is plenty.
- If you don't have frying mix or Korean pancake mix, you can make the batter by mixing all-purpose flour with 2 to 3 tbsp of potato starch.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
A bag of water dropwort is 200 g, and I prepared half of it (100 g). You will need 1/2 cup of minced squid and 2 small red Cheongyang chili peppers; 1 large one is plenty. You can use dried shrimp instead of squid, or prepare about 1/5 of a carrot instead of the chili pepper.
Cut the ingredients
Cut the water dropwort into sizes that are easy to pan-fry, and finely mince the red chili pepper.
Make the batter
Mix 2/3 cup of frying mix (or Korean pancake mix) with 2/3 cup of anchovy broth (= water) and 2 tsp of tuna extract sauce, and add 1 egg yolk to give the pancake a pretty color. If you don't have frying mix or Korean pancake mix, you can make the batter by mixing all-purpose flour with 2 to 3 tbsp of potato starch. Add the water dropwort, red chili pepper, and squid, then mix together.
Pan-fry
Heat a generous amount of oil in a heated pan, spread the batter thinly, and pan-fry over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
Finish
The fragrant and savory water dropwort pancake is finished. The outside fried up wonderfully crispy. It is only right to eat a pancake straight away while it is hot.
Ppunwife's tips
- I added 1 egg yolk to the batter to give the pancake a pretty color.
- Heat a generous amount of oil in a heated pan, spread the batter thinly, and pan-fry over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
FAQ
Can I use other seafood or ingredients instead of squid?
You can use dried shrimp instead of squid, and shredded carrot also works nicely instead of chili pepper.
How do I make the batter if I don't have Korean pancake mix or frying mix?
You can make the batter by mixing all-purpose flour with 2 to 3 tbsp of potato starch.
Is there a trick to making the pancake crispier?
It is best to grease a heated pan generously with cooking oil, spread the batter thinly, and fry it over medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown.
