Chewy, Savory Flourless Gamja Jeon (Potato Pancake)
A pan-fried dish made without flour, using only grated potato and its own settled starch for a chewy, savory texture.
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 →
Made entirely without flour using only the potato's own starch, this pancake is crispy on the outside and chewy like cheese on the inside. Grating by hand preserves the natural texture of the potato, while finely sliced large green onion adds a subtle depth of flavor.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
- Potato6, 700 g (large)
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Salt2/3 tsp
- Let the squeezed potato liquid sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the starch to settle.
- Use mainly the green part of the large green onion.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Peel and wash 6 large new potatoes.
Prepare 1/2 stalk of large green onion (daepa), mainly the green part.
Grate the potatoes
Grate the potatoes on a box grater, place them in a strainer, and press firmly with a spoon or spatula to remove the moisture.
Let the liquid sit for at least 10 minutes, then pour off only the water, and the starch will remain like this.
Make the batter
Add the grated potato, scrape in all the settled starch, season with 2/3 tsp salt, and mix evenly.
Finely slice the large green onion, add it to the batter...
Mix evenly once again.
Pan-fry the pancakes
Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a pan, spoon in the batter into your desired shape, and spread it out as it cooks.
Set the heat to about medium, check the bottom, and flip when it turns golden brown.
Drizzle a bit more oil into the pan and press down with a spatula as you fry until golden brown.
Serve
Even with absolutely no flour and made with only potato, it turns out chewy and delicious.
Because it is lightly seasoned with just salt, it is a clean and savory Gamja jeon (potato pancake).
Adding the large green onion gives it a lovely, subtle flavor.
It is delicious just like this, but you can also reduce the salt slightly and dip it in ketchup or seasoned soy vinegar sauce.
When you tear it in half, you can see the texture of the potato strands intact, which you cannot get if you blend it in a mixer because the fibers break apart.
Ppunwife's tips
- Grating the potatoes on a hand grater lets you feel the distinct texture in every bite, and when torn in half, the chewiness is incredible, just like melted cheese.
- When you tear it in half, you can see the texture of the potato strands intact, which you cannot get if you use a blender because the fibers break apart.
- It is delicious just like this, but you can also reduce the salt slightly and dip it in ketchup or seasoned soy vinegar sauce.
FAQ
Can I grate the potatoes in a blender?
Using a blender breaks down the potato fibers and makes it hard to achieve the signature texture, so grating by hand on a box grater is recommended.
Will the batter hold together without flour?
Yes. When you let the squeezed potato liquid rest for at least 10 minutes and mix the pure settled potato starch back into the grated potato, it binds together and fries up nicely chewy.
What is the best way to serve this Gamja jeon?
You can reduce the salt in the batter slightly and serve it with ketchup or seasoned soy vinegar sauce for dipping.
