Savory and Crispy Buchu Jeon (Garlic Chive Pancake)
A crispy garlic chive pancake packed with savory umami from anchovy broth and tuna extract sauce.
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 →
Even without seafood, this garlic chive pancake delivers deep umami by mixing the batter with cold anchovy broth and tuna extract sauce. Spreading the batter thinly in a well-heated pan and sizzling it with extra oil maximizes the crispy texture. With a gentle kick of heat from Cheongyang chili pepper, it makes a wonderful snack when you are feeling hungry or as a bite to pair with makgeolli.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servingsOriginal: 2 pancakes, 28 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Garlic chives (buchu)300 g
- Carrot1/2
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
Batter ingredients
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) (or deep-fried food (twigim))1 2/3 cups
- Anchovy broth1 2/3 cups
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang))2 tbsp
- You can use red chili pepper instead of carrot.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Today's garlic chive pancake contains no seafood or dried fish.
Just garlic chives, carrot, and Cheongyang chili pepper. You can use red chili pepper instead of carrot.
Chop the ingredients
Cut the garlic chives into lengths of 3 to 4 cm.
Finely julienne the carrot and cut it to match the length of the garlic chives. Finely slice the Cheongyang chili pepper.
Make the batter
Place all the prepped ingredients into a bowl...
Pour in 1 2/3 cups Korean pancake mix, 2 tbsp tuna extract sauce, and 1 2/3 cups anchovy broth, then mix evenly to make the batter.
Mixing with cold broth helps make the pancake crispy.
When making pancakes without seafood, seasoning with tuna extract sauce and using anchovy broth instead of water boosts the umami and makes it taste so much better.
Pan-fry
Heat the pan over high heat, drizzle in a generous amount of oil, add the batter, and spread it out evenly.
Keep the heat high enough so it makes a sizzling sound when the batter hits the pan, which prevents the pancake from becoming soggy.
Lower the heat slightly and pan-fry until the bottom turns golden brown.
If you gently nudge and pat the edges inward with a spatula, the protruding bits will cook, tuck cleanly inside, and give the pancake a neat shape.
Once flipped, press down with the spatula to flatten it thinly, add a little oil around the edges, and shake the pan occasionally while frying to complete a wonderfully crispy pancake.
Complete
Even with no special ingredients, it turns out crispy, nutty, and truly delicious.
Ppunwife's tips
- Mixing with cold broth helps make the pancake crispy.
- When making pancakes without seafood, seasoning with tuna extract sauce and using anchovy broth instead of water boosts the umami and makes it taste so much better.
- Keep the heat high enough so it makes a sizzling sound when the batter hits the pan, which prevents the pancake from becoming soggy.
- If you gently nudge and pat the edges inward with a spatula, the protruding bits will cook, tuck cleanly inside, and give the pancake a neat shape.
FAQ
Is there a trick to mixing the batter for an extra crispy pancake?
Using cold broth when mixing the batter makes it much crispier. Also, make sure the pan is preheated over high heat so the batter sizzles as soon as it goes in, preventing it from getting soggy.
What is the secret to getting deep flavor without adding seafood?
Making the batter with anchovy broth instead of water and seasoning it with tuna extract sauce brings out rich umami even without any seafood.
Are there substitutes if I do not have Korean pancake mix or tuna extract sauce?
You can use frying mix instead of Korean pancake mix, and soup soy sauce can be used in place of tuna extract sauce.
Can I use other vegetables instead of carrot?
You can slice and add red chili pepper instead of carrot.
