Chewy and Crispy Buchu Jeon (Garlic Chive Pancake)
A garlic chive pancake made with grated potato batter to cut down on flour while enhancing chewiness and crispiness.
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 garlic chive pancake uses no water, relying instead on the moisture and natural starch of finely grated potatoes to greatly reduce the need for flour. The subtle aroma of garlic chives blends harmoniously with the chewy potato center and crisp edges. Cheongyang chili pepper adds a clean kick of heat, making it great as a snack or drink accompaniment.
- Servings
- about 2–3 servingsOriginal: 2 pancakes, 23 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Garlic chives (buchu)200 g
- Carrot1/2
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
Pancake batter
- Potato1, 300 g (large)
- Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu)1/3 cup
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek)2 tbsp
- You will need 1 large or about 3 medium potatoes (300g).
- You can use salt instead of tuna extract sauce.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare a generous handful of garlic chives (buchu) (200g), 1/2 carrot, and 2 Cheongyang chili peppers (hot green chili).
The potato will be grated into the batter. You will need 1 large or about 3 medium potatoes (300g).
Slice the ingredients
Cut the garlic chives into lengths of around 3 cm.
Thinly julienne the carrot into similar lengths as the garlic chives, and finely mince the Cheongyang chili peppers.
Finely grate the potato using a box grater or a food processor.
Make the batter
Add all the prepared vegetables to a bowl and pour in the grated potato.
Season with 2 tbsp of tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) and mix roughly.
You can use salt instead of tuna extract sauce.
Since grated potato alone lacks binding power, add 1/3 cup of Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) and mix, which will help it hold together nicely.
You do not need to add water because the moisture from the potato is plenty; just think of the pancake mix as a light supplement.
Pan-fry the pancakes
Heat a pan over high heat, swirl in plenty of cooking oil, add the batter, and spread it out thinly and evenly.
Lower to medium heat so it doesn't burn, and flip once the bottom turns golden and crispy.
Pan-fry the other side the same way, adding more oil as needed.
Finish
This buchu jeon is made without a single drop of water, using 70% less pancake mix than usual.
It is all possible thanks to the rich starch of fresh new-crop potatoes.
The crispiness along the edges is amazing.
The garlic chives are still tender, so they are soft and delicious with nothing tough to chew.
Perhaps because of the rain forecast, the sky is overcast and the wind is blowing drearily. Have a wonderful day.
Ppunwife's tips
- Since grated potato alone lacks binding power, add 1/3 cup of Korean pancake mix to help it bind properly.
- Heat the pan over high heat, drizzle plenty of oil, spread the batter thinly, then lower to medium heat so it does not burn and flip when the bottom is golden and crispy.
FAQ
Do I need to add water to the batter?
You do not need to add water; the natural moisture from the grated potato provides plenty of liquid for the batter.
Is there a substitute for tuna extract sauce?
If you do not have tuna extract sauce, you can season with salt instead.
Why do you only add a small amount of pancake mix?
Grated potato alone lacks enough binding power to hold the ingredients together, so just a small amount is added to help it bind.
How should I manage the heat to make the pancakes crispy?
Heat the pan over high heat, add plenty of oil, spread the batter, and then reduce the heat to medium to cook until golden brown for a crispy texture.
