Last month I got sent to Korea on a surprise business trip, and I tried to have a kimchi because when else can I even have truly authentic kimchi?? Unfortunately, I am allergic to seafood and most kimchi in Korea is made with shrimp paste and fish sauce! I was basically sick for an entire week ^__^. So, I vowed to learn how to make kimchi without seafood, and it turns out it’s not that hard!
I would guess that most Korean grandmothers would argue that this is not true kimchi because it is missing some of its key ingredients, but to me it tastes just as tangy funky sour as normal kimchi, so I stand by my assertion that it is an acceptable alternative for those who suffer from seafood allergies like me.
But what to do with all of this kimchi?? Well, my first ever recipe on this blog was an onion pancake, which I actually made with an Italian recipe, but ended up adding a Korean twist to it. So I thought I’d do a little ode to that, but just make it straight up all the way Korean. So here are some Kimchi Pancakes!
Butter Count: Not even any??? Should I change the blog name to ImmediatelyDiabetes?
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup white kimchi, roughly chopped*
1/2 cup kimchi juice
1 Tbsp water
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling
Sriracha for garnish
*White kimchi can be store bought, but I will post a recipe for it as soon as I have perfected it ;) If you don’t have a problem with fish, just use regular kimchi!
DIPPING SAUCE:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, potato starch, and salt. Stir well. Add the kimchi, kimchi juice, water, and scallion. Stir well again.
Heat a nonstick pan over high heat. Add no more than 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil and allow it to get hot, until it slides super freely across the surface of the pan. Add the batter and spread it into an even layer with a rubber spatula.
Leave the batter alone to fry. until it browns deeply on the side that is in contact with the pan. Like, super deeply. Like, the smoke alarm should be going off when you decide to flip this thing. When that happens, flip the thing (I use two spatulas to avoid tearing).
Allow the pancake to fry until crispy on the second side, covering if you want to avoid the fire department from being notified of your attempts to cook for yourself. When it is super crispy on both sides, Transfer the pancake to a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and squeeze a thick swirl of sriracha over the whole thing before cutting into slices with a sharp knife. Serve with a fried egg to feel truly rich.
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and serve it with the pancake. I personally pour the whole bowl on top of the pancake, but if you want the top to remain crispy, just leave it in the bowl and dip the pancake in it.