Vegan Kimchi Pancake (Kimchijeon/김치전) – Crispy and tangy, this vegan version of the classic Korean street market food is great for sharing!
What is Kimchi Pancake?
Kimchi pancake, or kimchijeon (김치전/kim-chi-jeon), is a crispy flour based pancake that is fried in oil. You can often see stacks of these pancakes being sold at street markets in Korea, or sold in supermarkets in the banchan corner.
Kimchi is a fermented side dish in Korean cuisine. Some may argue that it is the quintessential Korean food. The most common form of kimchi is red in color and made with napa cabbage as the base. I have also written more about kimchi in my other recipes like kimchi quinoa stuffed peppers and kimchi cream pasta.
Traditionally kimchi contains shrimp paste, which makes the dish not vegan. However, you can make vegan kimchi by omitting this ingredient. You can often find a version of vegan kimchi at your local Asian grocery store (I use Hmart in the US).
This recipe makes 3 medium sized pancakes and are perfect for sharing... but I may have had 2 of these to myself before because they were so delicious ?
What do you need to make this vegan kimchi pancake?
You only need 2 main ingredients to make this kimchijeon! They are:
- Kimchi
- All-purpose flour
You also need some kimchi liquid, water, cooking oil and salt, but these are ingredients that you can find either in your kimchi jar or in your pantry!
How do you make Kimchijeon?
Making this vegan Korean kimchi pancake is so straightforward. Just follow the steps below:
- Make the batter by combining the flour, water and salt until smooth.
- Add in the chopped kimchi and kimchi liquid to the batter.
- Warm up generous amount of cooking oil (~3 tbsp) in a pan. Use a ⅔ cup measuring cup to scoop out the pancake mixture. Gently flatten it out into a circular shape, and fry this side for about 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip the pancake and press down gently with the spatula. Fry the other side for additional 5 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crispy. If you want a crispier pancake, you can cook each side for 1-2 minutes more, but be careful not to burn it.
- Repeat steps 3-4 until you run out of batter.
Tips and Tricks
- Flatten and shape your pancake while frying. Flattening the pancake after you put the bater into the pan is essential to achieving a thin and crispy pancake. If the pancake is too thick, you might end up with a pancake that is still raw on the inside. I also like to take a spatula and gently run it around the outer edges of the pancake to shape it into a circle.
- Use generous amount of oil. The trick to a crispy kimchi pancake is the oil. I'm afraid you can't really make the classic kimchijeon "healthy." If you're looking for a healthy meal, you should just skip this recipe and eat some raw kimchi instead.
This Vegan Kimchi Pancake is...
- Made with just 2 ingredients!
- Sooo crispy and flavorful
- A vegan version of a classic Korean street market food
Frequently asked questions
- Can I make it gluten-free? I think you can use gluten-free flour instead of regular all-purpose flour. But the resulting pancake might be more crumbly. I have not tried making this recipe gluten-free, so if you do, make sure to let me know in the comments!
- Is this spicy? The most conventional kimchi (that is made with napa cabbage) is typically spicy due to the chili powder used in making it. However, the kimchi pancake is not very spicy. If you can eat kimchi comfortably, you can use it to make these kimchi pancakes.
- How many servings does this recipe make? This recipe makes 3 medium sized pancakes, which is enough as appetizers for 4 people. You can make the pancakes bigger in size if you want, but I find that smaller pancakes hold the shape better.
- How long does this recipe take? This recipe calls for 40 minutes of your time, but most of the time is spent on the frying. If you want to cut down on the time, you can always make fewer pancakes to cut down on the cooking time.
If your question isn't answered here, be sure to check out the comments section below. You might find the answer to your question down there. Otherwise, please leave a comment on this post so I can get back to you ASAP!
As always, thanks for reading!
Best,
Korean Kimchi Pancake (Kimchijeon/김치전)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 medium pancakes 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stovetop, Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan Kimchi Pancake (Kimchijeon/김치전) – Crispy and tangy, this vegan version of the classic Korean street market food is great for sharing!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup kimchi, chopped
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup kimchi liquid
- ⅛ tsp salt
- Cooking oil, generous amount (I used canola)
Equipment
- large pan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, make the batter base by mixing the flour, water and salt until a smooth.
- Add in the chopped kimchi and kimchi liquid to the batter and stir until well mixed.
- Warm up a generous amount of cooking oil (~3 tbsp) in a pan on medium-high heat. Use a ⅔ cup measuring cup to scoop out the pancake mixture into the pan. Gently flatten it out into a circular shape, and fry this side for about 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip the pancake and press down gently with the spatula evenly across the pancake to help flatten the pancake. Fry the other side for additional 5 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crispy. If you want a crispier pancake, you can cook each side for 1-2 minutes more.
- Repeat steps 3-4 with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Keywords: kimchi, kimchi pancake, korean, sides
If you tried this recipe, make sure to let me know by tagging me on Instagram @tofuify or tell me in the comment section down below. I can't wait to see your creations! ☺️
Let me know what you think!