Korean kimchi pancake (Kimchijeon)

Portion size: Serves 2
Prep time 10 min. Cook time 10 min
Difficulty: easy

Dairy-free

Recipe by: Dana Choi

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Kimchijeon is a delicious Korean pancake. Chef Dana Choi shares her recipe for this much-loved dish, loaded with kimchi and thin strips of pork belly.

“Cooking the kimchi mellows it out, and the inclusion of thin bacon-like slices of pork belly makes the dish even more enticing,” says Dana.

Born in Gwangju, Dana studied Korean royal cuisine before she moved to London and worked at two-Michelin-starred restaurant The Square. She’s now the head chef at Jang in London, combining Korean and Japanese cuisine. Follow Dana on Instagram @chefchoidana

Why not have a go at making your own kimchi?

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Ingredients

300g kimchi, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped, plus extra to sprinkle
½ tbsp caster sugar
½ tbsp gochugaru
80g pork belly slices, very finely sliced widthways
120g plain flour
70g glutinous rice flour
Vegetable oil to fry

For the sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp caster sugar
½ tbsp gochugaru
½ tbsp sesame seeds, crushed

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Method

Mix the kimchi, spring onions, sugar, gochugaru and pork belly together in a large bowl. Tip both flours into a separate bowl, add 250g water and mix until smooth, then add it to the kimchi mixture. Gently mix until combined – don’t overwork or it may turn chewy.
Combine the sauce ingredients with 1 tbsp water. Set aside.
Put a frying pan over a mediumheat. Drizzle in plenty of oil – enough to cover the base. Once shimmering hot, pour in the pancake batter and spread it flat so it fills the pan. If you’re using a 20cm pan, it’s best to do 2 pancakes; if your pan is larger, it can be cooked in one go.
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Cook the pancake for 3-5 minutes until the edges turn crisp. In a smooth motion, flip it and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or board, slice into pieces, top with extra spring onions and serve with the dipping sauce.