They’re quick. They’re easy to make. And my word, they’re delicious. Serve these delectable pancakes for breakfast, brunch or as part of a bigger spread if you’re in the mood for a Korean-style dinner. Oh, and handy hint: while these aren’t overly spicy, you can tone down the heat by using all water as the liquid, instead of using part-drained kimchi liquid.
Cheesy Kimchi Pancakes
2 cups (about 450g/16 oz) undrained kimchi
1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly whisked
175g (6 oz) mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces or grated
vegetable oil, for cooking
Gochujang hot sauce
3 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
1 tbsp gochujang*
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
- For the gochujang hot sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside for later.
- To make the pancakes, start by getting some kimchi juice ready. Over a measuring jug, squeeze the kimchi in your hands, in batches, as hard as you can to remove as much liquid as possible. You want to end up with about ½ cup of liquid.
- Top up the kimchi liquid with enough water to make it up to 1 cup (250 ml/9 fl oz). Coarsely chop the kimchi and place in a large bowl.
- Mix the flour, salt and kimchi liquid into the chopped kimchi, using a fork to prevent lumps forming. Add the eggs and cheese, then stir well to combine.
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium-sized, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Using a ladle, transfer some of the pancake mix to the hot pan, spreading it to form a round. Cook for 3–4 minutes or until golden, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until golden and cooked
- Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to cook each time. Serve the pancakes with the gochujang hot sauce drizzled over.
- Notes: – Gochujang is a Korean fermented chilli paste. It can be found in the Asian aisle at most supermarkets or order it online.
