Kimchi Pancakes

Just like you would get from the Asian store straight from your kitchen.

Growing up, I had a bunch of Korean friends who would share dishes with me that reminded them of home. From bulgogi to kalbe and a variety of fried rice, it was food my parents had never and would probably never prepare for me. I enjoyed it all and certainly more than the processed and less extraordinary foods back home. That said, there was a dish I didn't enjoy as much that was prepared around me quite often, Kimchi. As most of you may know, it’s a dish full of flavor and in this instance, it was incredibly spicy. So much so that I could hardly get it down! The level of spice was unlike anything I was familiar with and thus I wrote it off for the past two decades as food I just couldn't get down to.

Fast forward a bit, and one day I found myself at an Asian store shopping for a few essentials. There, they had prepared Kimchi pancakes, and being the spontaneous devil that I am, figured I'd give it another go. Lo and behold, I actually enjoyed them and boy did it open up my palette to new flavors again! I enjoyed them so much I decided I had to try and make a batch of my own some time, and it turns out that time is now :) Moving and leaving for Florida recently has offered me many an opportunity to expand in the kitchen, and expand I did. I started pickling a variety of delicious eats, including Kimchi, and realized just how amazing fermented foods were for my ever-changing gut health, especially with digestion as it’s always been a problem for me! Nowadays, I'll use Kimchi on fried rice, soups, and even salads without hesitation :)

About a month after I moved to Florida, I went to a Fourth of July party and I made the Kimchi pancakes for the first time for my friends to sample. They hadn't really tried my food yet, and I wanted an unbiased review of a dish unfamiliar to most people. By the time the night was over, the entire plate was almost gone, I was happy that the reviews came out positive. Not everyone enjoys Kimchi, but everyone who does enjoy this dish. It pairs well with a hoisin-based sauce that I made. The sauce elevates it to the next level by adding that level of sweetness from an already quite salty pancake.

All together, this dish has only 15 ingredients, which is less than what you would find in one that you would get from the store. Each part of this dish is a labor of love starting from the Kimchi all the way up to the sauce. I selectively choose my favorite dishes to share with the RAD fam. Find my recipe for Kimchi Pancakes below.

Kimchi Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. rice flour (or other GF flour)

• 1 cup drained, chopped Kimchi, plus 1/4 cup brine liquid (or 1/4 cup vegetable broth)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 3-4 Green onions or 2 scallions, thinly chopped

• 1 large egg

• 1 Tsp sugar

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying (or use Vegetable Oil)

  For the Sauce:

• 1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. Mirin or Rice Wine Vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. GF Tamari or Soy Sauce

• 1/4 cup vegetable broth, divided

• 1 Tsp fresh ginger

• 1 tsp fresh garlic

• Top with sesame seeds

Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together all ingredients, except oil until a thick batter forms.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Scoop 1/4 cup servings into the pan and cook ~3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and firmly press down on them with the back of your spatula. Cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess grease.

Serve on a nice platter or separate plate and enjoy with the sauce.

Traditional Kimchi Recipe

Kimchi used to be one of my least favorite foods next to olives. It was so spicy that I would start hiccuping. My gut couldn’t handle the number of pepper flakes typically used in Kimchi. The first time I tried it was from a traditional Korean family from my friend’s mom who made it from scratch. I ate everything from Kalbi to fried rice to bulgogi, but I would veer away from the Kimchi. They would put it on everything and I never understood it.

Later in life, I started developing gut issues and looked into different fermented foods to help heal the lining of my stomach. A lot of different websites lead me to Kimchi. I knew that I needed to change my diet and accept more foods into my palette if I wanted to repair the lining of my intestines. However, my parents disliked it and would yell at me every time I would bring the smell of strong, fishy foods into the house when I used to live with them.

It wasn’t until I moved out on my own that I experimented with different fermenting techniques because I have a significant other to support my new lifestyle. Fermenting is a method that involves bacteria and yeast breaking down sugars to help preserve foods longer and produce healthy bacteria to improve digestion. It has also been associated with weight loss. The first time I tried making my own Kimchi was because I had a craving for Kimchi pancakes. It’s a savory pancake that pairs well with a sweet hoisin sauce to give me a healthy balance of sweet and salty. I added 4 tablespoons of Korean red pepper flakes thinking they were like traditional red pepper flakes. I could handle spice pretty well, but was I wrong! It was almost inedible even after I let some of my friends try it. Adding half a tablespoon or less seems to be the sweet spot so my mouth isn’t on fire.

Once I made my own Kimchi, I started to enjoy it because of the fishy taste with the cabbage. I add it to fried rice, ramen, or I’ll eat it straight from the jar as a snack to help curb my potato chip cravings. This recipe changed the way I view Kimchi because it went from being one of my least favorite foods to putting it on anything I can think of including my homemade Kimchi pancakes. I’m excited to share the recipe with the masses below. You’ll never want to buy Kimchi from the store again once you try this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized heads of Napa cabbage, cut in 2-inch squares

• ** 3-4 large carrots, julienned OR 1 8 oz daikon radish, julienned

• 4 green onions, sliced small

• ½ cup kosher salt, divided

• Water (distilled or filtered)

• 1-inch knob fresh ginger, minced

• 2 tsp sugar

• 1-2 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced (5-6 cloves)

• ** 3 Tbsp. salted shrimp paste

• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce

• ** 1-5 Tbsp. Korean red pepper flakes

** Notes:

You can do both the radish and carrots in your Kimchi, but I preferred the carrots over the radish. The radish was kind of bitter if you’re into that sort of taste.

Add 3 Tbsp. of fish sauce if you omit shrimp paste, which I don’t recommend

1 Tbsp. of Korean red pepper flakes is medium-hot, 3 is fiery hot, and 4 is almost inedible. If you can handle 5, then more power to you.

You can find shrimp paste and Korean red pepper flakes at your local Asian Market

Equipment:

• 1-2 large bowls

• 1-2 small plates

• Colander/strainer

• Gloves

• Cutting board

• Knife

• 2 large Mason jars

• Something to weigh the Kimchi down, like a can of beans

• Tray to place under jar during fermentation

Directions:

Cut the cabbage lengthwise through the stem in half. Keeping the cabbage lengthwise, cut in 2-inch strips up until the core. Don’t cut all the way through. Turn the cabbage 90 degrees and cut 2-inch squares until you get to the core. Discard the core and any pieces without the cabbage leaf on it. The core tastes very bitter and doesn’t have as many nutrients as the leaves. Repeat for cabbage #2.

In a large mixing bowl, fill up as much as you can with cabbage. Use a second bowl if you need to. To make the process easier, I split the cabbage in half. Add ¼ cup of salt into each bowl. Massage the cabbage with your hands until it feels soft.

Add the water up to the top of the cabbage to fill the bowl(s). Place a heavy object on top of a plate to keep the cabbage submerged. Let it sit for 1-2 hours.

Make your sauce. In a small bowl, add all of the remaining ingredients except your carrots and green onions. Mix until it starts to form a paste.

Cut your carrots and green onions. Set aside.

Using your colander, wash and strain your cabbage 3x. Let it dry for 5 minutes before you repeat.

In your large mixing bowls, combine cabbage, carrots, and green onions with your sauce into one bowl. Using gloves mix everything together until the paste is fully incorporated.

Add your Kimchi into 2 large mason jars, leaving an inch of room. Using your fist (with gloves on), squeeze the Kimchi down to extract the brine until it is completely submerged in liquid.

Place your jars in a cool, dark room using a tray to catch potential drippings.

Let it sit for 1-5 days checking/tasting each day to see if it gets to your desired fermentation. It will start to taste a bit sweeter. That’s when you know it’s done.

Refrigerate for 24 hours before consumption. Enjoy for many months (up to 6). Just note that the more you leave it in the fridge, it will continue to ferment.

Sources:

1) Healthline

2) Redefining All Diets