Crispy, Sweet Baechu Jeon (Cabbage Pancake)
A savory pancake made by coating sweet in-season baby napa cabbage in a lightly spiced chili 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 →
A simple cabbage pancake made with sweet in-season baby napa cabbage. You can dip the leaves straight into the batter without dusting them in flour first and it will still adhere well, while finely chopped Cheongyang chili pepper and red chili pepper add a touch of spice. Pan-frying over medium heat while pressing down firmly yields a pancake that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making it a great snack or accompaniment for makgeolli.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Baby napa cabbage9 leaves
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)1
- Red chili pepper1
Batter ingredients
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu)1 1/2 cups
- Water (or anchovy broth)1 1/3 cups
- Soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) (or tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek))1/2 tbsp
- Make a small cut at the base of each cabbage stem so the leaves lie flat.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I prepared 9 baby napa cabbage leaves, along with a Cheongyang chili pepper and a red chili pepper for spice and color.
Slice the ingredients
Make a small cut at the base of each cabbage stem so the leaves lie flat.
Finely chop the chili peppers.
Make the batter
Pour 1+1/3 cups of water or anchovy broth into 1+1/2 cups of Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu), then season with 1/2 tbsp of soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) or tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek).
Mix until smooth with no lumps, then stir in the chili peppers to finish the batter.
Pan-fry
Coat both sides of each cabbage leaf evenly in the batter, then place them neatly into a heated, oiled pan.
Pan-fry over medium heat, pressing down on both sides, until golden and crispy.
Serve
Here is a quick and super-simple cabbage pancake.
Dusting with flour can make pancakes thick, but even when dipped straight into the batter and pan-fried, it clings well without falling off.
Sweet, nutty in-season cabbage makes any dish delicious.
I also love the subtle bites of spicy chili pepper dotted throughout.
Ppunwife's tips
- Make a small cut at the base of each cabbage stem so the leaves lie flat.
- Dusting with flour can make pancakes thick, but even when dipped straight into the batter and pan-fried, it clings well without falling off.
FAQ
Is there a trick to keep the cabbage leaves from curling up off the pan?
Making a light cut at the base of each cabbage stem helps the leaves flatten out so they contact the pan evenly. Pressing down with a spatula while pan-frying over medium heat also ensures they crisp up evenly.
Can I use something other than soup soy sauce to season the batter?
You can use an equal amount (1/2 tbsp) of tuna extract sauce instead of soup soy sauce to add savory umami.
Can I use broth instead of plain water when making the batter?
Using the same amount (1+1/3 cups) of anchovy broth instead of water will give the batter a much deeper flavor.
Will the batter peel off if I do not dust the cabbage with flour first?
Dusting with flour can make the pancake thick, so you can safely skip it; dipping the leaves straight into the thin batter coats them well without slipping off.
