Kimchi Jeon (Kimchi Pancake)

Another major snowstorm (Blizzard of 2010) is paralyzing many states along the East Coast of the U.S. I have already been snowed in for a few days, and it does not seem like it will end anytime soon. So since there is nothing I can do about it, I decided to enjoy it by staying warm inside and doing the things I enjoy. Cooking is on the top of the list. I've been making and eating so much food that it's almost embarrassing to talk about. But my poor husband who's been out shoveling the never ending amount of snow appreciated all the food I made.

On a rainy or cold snow day, Koreans like to make some sort of jeon (savory pancakes) for a snack, and kimchi jeon is a popular choice. So this was one of many things I made in last few days. I had previously posted this kimchi jeon recipe as a supplement to the seafood scallion pancake recipe, but I decided that this popular Korean snack/appetizer deserved its own spotlight. This time I added strips of squid. The result was a crispy outside layer and lots of flavor with a nice combination of texture between chewy squid and crunchy kimchi.

Ingredients:
1 cup Korean pancake mix (or 1 cup flour)
1/4 cup sweet rice powder*
1 egg
1 cup water (1/4 cup more if not using juice from kimchi)

(*Sweet rice powder adds a little bit of elastic texture to the pancakes, but if unavailable, simply add more Korean pancake mix or flour.)

1 cup thinly sliced kimchi (fully fermented)
1/4 cup juice from the kimchi (if available)
1 tablespoon red pepper paste (gochujang)
2-3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
1/2 small onion, sliced
Vegetable or canola oil for pan frying

Prepare batter by mixing the first four ingredients.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium low heat. Ladle the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly into a thin round shape. Cook until the bottom is light golden brown (about 3 - 4 minutes). Turn it over, adding more oil, press it down with a spatula, and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes until the other side is light golden brown. Repeat the process until there is no remaining mixture. Serve hot with dipping sauce, if desired. See my Mandu (Korean Dumplings) recipe for sauce.