Crispy Squid Kimchi Jeon (Kimchi Pancake) for Drinks
A special kimchi pancake pan-fried until crispy with chewy squid and sliced large green onion.
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 aged sour kimchi with soaked semi-dried squid and fragrant large green onion for a chewy, sweet, and savory flavor. Adjusting the water amount to account for the moisture in the kimchi and frying it in a well-heated pan over high heat results in a crispy outside and soft inside. Pleasantly salty and spicy, it is wonderful as a weekend snack or paired with makgeolli.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servingsOriginal: 2 pancakes, 23 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Aged sour kimchi1/4 clove, 500 g
- Semi-dried squid1 whole (1 cup, sliced)
- Large green onion (daepa)1/3 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
Pancake batter
- Deep-fried food (twigim) (or korean pancake mix (buchim-garu))2 cups
- Cold water1 1/2 cups
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 tbsp
- Salta little
- For the squid, I soaked semi-dried squid in water to make it tender.
- When frying with very sour or long-aged kimchi, adding vegetables like garlic chives, cabbage, or onion makes it much fresher and more delicious.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
The aged sour kimchi (or long-fermented kimchi) is 1 quarter head (500 g). Prepare the large green onion (daepa) and Cheongyang chili pepper; for the squid, I soaked semi-dried squid in water to make it tender.
Slice the ingredients
Roughly shake the seasoning out of the kimchi and chop it finely.
If the kimchi pieces are too large, the batter will not hold together well and will tear easily when frying.
Finely chop the squid, large green onion, and chili peppers.
Make the batter
Put all the chopped ingredients into a bowl...
Pour in 2 cups of frying mix (or pancake mix) and 1 1/2 cups of cold water, then mix well.
If the batter color is pale, add 1 tbsp of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and mix so the batter binds together well.
Since soy sauce is not served separately with kimchi jeon, it needs some seasoning; you can add 3 to 4 tbsp of kimchi liquid and reduce the water by that same amount. I added a little salt to season it.
Pan-fry the pancakes
Heat the pan thoroughly over high heat, then swirl in a generous amount of oil.
You can get it crispy when the batter makes a sizzling sound as it hits the pan and the oil bubbles vigorously around the edges.
If you add the batter before the temperature rises properly, it takes longer to cook and becomes greasy and soggy.
Spread it thin, reduce to medium heat so the inside cooks through, and shake the pan frequently so the oil spreads evenly to the center.
When the bottom is nicely cooked to a light golden brown, flip it over, add more oil, and press down with a spatula to cook it crispy.
Finish
Winter large green onions that grow through the cold wind are sweet and delicious these days.
The fragrant green onion aroma cuts through the aged smell of the sour kimchi, and the chewy texture of the squid is wonderful.
It tastes best torn apart and eaten right after frying, while it is still hot and crispy.
When frying with very sour or long-aged kimchi, adding vegetables like garlic chives, cabbage, or onion makes it much fresher and more delicious.
Have a relaxing, happy weekend with delicious food.
Ppunwife's tips
- When pan-frying with high-moisture kimchi, using less water than with other ingredients creates a batter that cooks up crispy.
- If the kimchi pieces are too large, the batter will not hold together well and will tear easily when frying.
- Since soy sauce is not served separately with kimchi jeon, it needs some seasoning; you can add 3 to 4 tbsp of kimchi liquid and reduce the water by that same amount.
- If you add the batter before the temperature rises properly, it takes longer to cook and becomes greasy and soggy.
FAQ
How can I fry kimchi jeon batter so it turns out crispy?
Kimchi itself contains a lot of moisture, so use less water than usual and place the batter into a well-heated, oiled pan so it sizzles around the edges, keeping it from turning soggy.
Why should the kimchi be chopped finely?
If the kimchi pieces are too large, the batter does not bind together well and tears easily when frying in the pan.
How do you cook it when the kimchi is very sour or well aged?
Adding chopped vegetables such as garlic chives, cabbage, or onion mellows the acidity and makes it much fresher.
Can fresh squid be used instead of semi-dried squid? AI-generated
You can finely chop cleaned fresh squid or blanched squid to enjoy a similarly chewy texture.
