Crispy and Chewy Gamja Jeon (Potato Pancake)
Gamja jeon made without flour by pan-frying both shredded and grated potatoes to bring out both crispness and chewiness.
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 dish is pan-fried using only potatoes and their natural starch, with no flour or water added. By shredding part of the potatoes finely and grating the rest, you can enjoy both a crisp texture and a chewy bite at the same time. Pan-fried in plenty of oil until golden on both sides, it turns out crispy on the outside and wonderfully chewy inside.
- Servings
- about 1–2 servingsOriginal: 1 pancake, 23 cm across
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
- Potato5, 500 g
- Salt1/2 tsp
- Strain the potato juice through a sieve, let it rest for 10 minutes, pour off the water, and use only the white potato starch that has settled at the bottom.
- Use the shredded potatoes as they are without rinsing them in water so the batter binds together well.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
Prepare 5 medium potatoes (500 g).
Slice the ingredients
Finely shred two potatoes.
Use them as they are without rinsing in water so the batter binds together well.
Grate 3 potatoes on a box grater.
Set them in a sieve to drain the potato juice.
After 10 minutes, pour off the liquid and scrape up only the white potato starch that has settled at the bottom to add to the batter.
Mix the batter
Add the shredded potatoes and grated potatoes together into a bowl.
Scrape up all the settled potato starch and pour it in as well.
Add 1/2 tsp of salt and mix well so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Pan-fry
Heat a pan and generously add cooking oil, then add the batter and spread it out thinly and evenly.
Once the bottom is crisped up, flip it over.
Replenish the oil once or twice along the way and pan-fry both sides until they turn light golden brown.
Complete
The crispy and chewy gamja jeon is complete.
I made one large pancake, but making several smaller ones is also great for kids to eat.
You get both the texture of the shredded potatoes and the chewiness of the coarsely grated potatoes in one bite.
Plus, the outside is incredibly crispy.
Walking around nearby, rice planting preparations were in full swing.
There is rain in the forecast for two days, and knowing it will help the farming makes me feel content.
Ppunwife's tips
- Use the shredded potatoes as they are without rinsing in water so the batter binds together well.
- Pan-frying one large pancake works well, but making several smaller ones makes them easier for kids to eat.
FAQ
Should I rinse the shredded potatoes in water to remove the starch?
Do not rinse them in water; adding them directly to the batter keeps the natural starch so the ingredients bind together well.
How do I use the starch from the grated potatoes?
Strain the potato juice through a sieve, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then scrape up only the white potato starch settled at the bottom and mix it into the batter.
How should I adjust the size when pan-frying?
Pan-frying one large pancake is great, but dividing the batter into smaller rounds makes it easy for kids to pick up and eat.
