Crispy Goguma Jeon (Pan Fried Sweet Potato)
A crispy snack pancake made by julienning sweet potatoes and large green onion and pan-frying them like vegetable fritters.
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 combines julienned sweet potatoes with large green onion to recreate the savory flavor of Korean street-food vegetable fritters. Lightly salting the vegetables helps them cling together, while cold water and potato starch keep them crisp. Pan-fried until golden without deep-frying, it makes an easy, wholesome snack.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Sweet potato3, 300 g
- Carrot1/3, 50 g
- Large green onion (daepa)1/3 stalk
- Salt1/2 tsp
Pancake batter
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) (or deep-fried food (twigim))3/4 cup
- Potato starch2 tbsp
- Cold water1 cup
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, and let them sit for about 10 minutes.
- Adding a bit of large green onion instead of onion, which has very little moisture, gives great aroma and prevents the pancake from turning soggy.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 3 sweet potatoes (300g), 1/3 carrot (50g), and the middle section of a large green onion (daepa) (1/3 stalk).
Adding a bit of large green onion instead of onion, which has very little moisture, gives great aroma and prevents the pancake from turning soggy.
Slice the vegetables
Julienne the sweet potato and carrot into pieces that are not too long, and thinly slice the large green onion.
Salt the vegetables
Place all the ingredients in a bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, and let them sit for about 10 minutes.
Lightly seasoning the stiff vegetables and letting them soften slightly helps them cling together and keeps them from falling apart, making them much easier to pan-fry.
Be careful not to salt them too long so they do not become completely limp.
Make the batter
After 10 minutes, pour in 3/4 cup Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) (or frying mix), 2 tbsp potato starch, and 1 cup cold water, then simply mix to finish the batter.
The colder the water you use, and adding a little potato starch, are the secrets to crispy pancakes and fritters.
Pan-fry the pancakes
Heat a pan over high heat and add a generous swirl of oil.
Because sweet potatoes are firm and take time to cook through, lower the heat to medium so they do not burn.
Use chopsticks to transfer the mixture to the pan so the vegetables stay together.
Shake the pan often so the oil is evenly absorbed, and once the bottom side has developed a nice color, flip it over.
After flipping, press down gently so the surface is smooth, and drizzle a bit more oil along the way to pan-fry until crispy and light golden brown.
Finish
As it cools slightly, it becomes even crispier and the sweetness comes through much more.
The ingredients are truly simple, but the flavor is rich and delicious, just like deep-fried vegetable fritters.
Even with just 3 sweet potatoes, it makes a generous amount.
I thought about making it with just sweet potatoes, but adding the sliced large green onion was a stroke of genius. It tastes exactly like deep-fried vegetable fritters.
Even without deep-frying, if you use plenty of oil and pan-fry them thin, you will enjoy a satisfying crunch.
If you have sweet potatoes, try pan-frying them like this instead of deep-frying for a wonderful snack.
Ppunwife's tips
- Be careful not to salt them too long so they do not become completely limp.
- The colder the water you use, and adding a little potato starch, are the secrets to crispy pancakes and fritters.
- Because sweet potatoes are firm and take time to cook through, lower the heat to medium so they do not burn.
- Even without deep-frying, if you use plenty of oil and pan-fry them thin, you will enjoy a satisfying crunch.
FAQ
Is there a trick to making the pancakes crispier?
Using cold water and mixing in potato starch when making the batter helps bring out a crispy texture.
Why do you salt the vegetables first?
It lightly seasons the ingredients and softens them slightly, allowing the vegetables to cling together well and making them easier to pan-fry.
Why use large green onion instead of regular onion?
Using large green onion, which has less moisture, prevents the pancakes from becoming soggy and adds a wonderful aroma.
Can I use frying mix instead of Korean pancake mix?
This recipe also guides that frying mix (twigim-garu) can be used as an equal substitute for Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu).
