Korean kimchi pancakes (often referred to as kimchijeon in Korea) are a delicious street food dish often enjoyed as a snack or after a night out, that is so easy to make at home! To tell you the truth, it’s just like making traditional pancakes where you add everything together in a bowl and fry it up except Korean Kimchi Pancakes are way more savory than your traditional North American pancake thanks to the addition of green onions and some spicy kimchi! If you enjoy Korean food and want to learn how to make delicious kimchi pancakes at home, check out this foolproof recipe with dipping sauce below!
IS KIMCHI VEGAN?
It all depends on the brand you buy! Traditional kimchi does contain fish sauce but depending on the brand you buy you can also find it without, so make sure to check the ingredient list. Additionally, Kimchi is not difficult to make, so if you want to try making it at home you can just leave out any animal products to make it vegan.
In my opinion, the best kimchi brand is Myungga Mat Kimchi however, I did recently do a Whole 30 cleanse and found a plant-based kimchi brand called LIVE at Ambrosia that I very much enjoy. It doesn’t have any added fish sauce and uses apple for sweetness instead of sugar. *NOTE: This recipe is not whole 30!
WHAT ARE SOME KIMCHI BENEFITS?
Kimchi is so good for your gut! It aids with digestion and is packed full of great probiotics. It is also said to help with inflammation, aid with weight loss, strengthen your immune system and support heart health!
DOES KIMCHI GO BAD
Yes! I recently had to throw out the remnants of a jar of kimchi that was a month or so old. You could tell by the way it smelled that it had ‘over fermented’. It smelled like a bottle of wine that has been sitting out for a few days. If you open your jar and it smells kind of sour with a pungent alcohol smell - it’s most likely gone bad.
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INGREDIENTS FOR KIMCHI PANCAKES:
Makes 2-3 Pancakes
3-4 Green Onions (chopped diagonally) - set a little aside for garnish
1/2 a CUP of Kimchi (chopped) *Use a plant-based Kimchi if you want this recipe to be vegan!
1/2 a CUP of Korean Pancake Mix
2-3 TBSP of Kimchi Juice and/or Korean Chili Paste
About 1 Cup of Water (to be added a 1/4 CUP at a time)
1-2 TBSP of Vegetable Oil
- Garnish -
1 TBSP of Seasame Seeds (roasted)
Dried Seaweed (cut into 2-inch strips)
- Dipping Sauce -
2 TBSP of Soya Sauce
1 TBSP of Water
2 TSP of Rice Vinegar
1 TSP of Sugar
2 TSP of Sesame Oil
1 TSP of Sesame Seeds
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER ASIAN INSPIRED RECIPES
HOW TO MAKE KIMCHI PANCAKES:
In a small bowl, add all your dipping sauce ingredients, and using a fork mix it together before setting it aside.
In a bowl add in your green onions (making sure to put some to the side for a garnish later), Korean pancake mix, kimchi, and kimchi juice/ Korean chili paste in a bowl. Stir in a 1/4 cup of water at a time until a batter starts to form. You want it to be the same consistency as a regular pancake mix so keep adding water until you achieve this desired consistency.
Heat up 1-2 TBSP of vegetable oil in a pan and pour in your Kimchi pancake batter when hot. Allow the Kimchi pancake to cook on one side for 2-3 minutes before flipping - same as you would a regular pancake.
When ready, remove from heat, garnish with sesame seeds, more green onion, and dried seaweed strips.
Serve with dipping sauce.
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I hope you enjoyed this easy vegan kimchi pancake recipe with dipping sauce as much as I do. If you have any comments about how to make kimchi pancakes, please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!
