This recipe is part of our new culinary series, The Global Kitchen, which features recipes from all over the world, provided by our own international student reporters.

Start to finish: 15 – 20 minutes 

Servings: 2 -3 large pancakes (5 – 6 small pancakes) 

Cuisine: Korean 

Area/City of origin: South Korea 

Difficulty level: Easy 

Spice level: Medium

Kimchi pancake, also referred to as kimchi-jeon, is a traditional Korean folk dish that anyone could make easily at home with no extra budget.  It is usually served as an appetizer, a snack or a side dish. It also goes well with alcoholic beverages such as makgeolli (Korean rice wine).  Kimchi is a staple in Korean cuisine. The dish is good for using up ripened kimchi.  This dish is super easy to make – even a 10-year-old kid can make it! 

Ingredients:

• 1 egg: lightly beaten
• All-purpose flour: 1 ¼ cup 
• Ice Water: ½ cup  
• Kimchi liquid: 2-3 tablespoons of liquid from kimchi/water
• Thinly sliced kimchi: 1 cup 
• Meat (ground pork) or bacon: ½ cup (optional) 
• Cooking oil

Procedure:

Thinly slice the kimchi, to about a ½ inch thick.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, kimchi liquid, ice water, liquid, and the egg. Mix it.  Add more liquid if the batter is too thick. It should flow easily from a spoon. Stir in the kimchi.  Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Ladle batter into the pan and spread evenly.  Cook until the edges are golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Flip it over and repeat.  

Tips/Notes:

If you use Buchim Garu (Korean pancake powder), the process can be even simpler as you don’t need to put an egg. You can buy it at H-Mart (Korean market) or any other Asian market.