Vegan Korean Kimchi Pancakes – Spicy and savory vegan kimchi pancake that is crispy on the edge, chewy in the middle.
Have you had Korean pancakes before?
Korean pancakes tend to be very different from the ones that Americans are used to. Korean pancakes are savory. I personally almost always go for savory over sweet. So it is no surprise that I would always choose Korean pancakes over American pancakes.
This Vegan Korean Kimchi Pancakes are definitely savory but also spicy! When you make kimchi pancakes, you have to use fermented (sour) kimchi. The spiciness and pleasant tang comes from kimchi and you don’t even have to season the pancake batter because the salt comes from the kimchi itself.
If you want vegan kimchi pancake, just make sure to use vegan kimchi for the recipe. If your kimchi is not fully fermented, leave it on the countertop over a day or two and you will be golden!
How to make your vegan Korean kimchi pancake edge crispy:
- Starch: In addition to all-purpose flour, one tablespoon of starch is added to the batter.
- Ice Cold Water: When you mix the flour and starch with water, you gotta use ice-cold water. The cold temperature of the water helps with not developing gluten from the flour. Hence, making it more crispy rather than doughy.
- Grape Seed Oil: When frying up the pancake, you have to use high smoking point oil such as grape seed oil. Grapeseed oil also has a very clean taste so it won’t interfere with the savory taste of the kimchi pancake.
When you are frying up the kimchi pancake, it is somewhat similar to making the regular pancake. You watch the edge of the pancake and once they are cooked (brown on the edge), that’s your cue to flip the pancake.
If you want another recipe using vegan kimchi, make sure to check out my Kimchi Fried Rice with Soy Chorizo (vegan).
Not a big fan of spicy pancakes? Worry not, try my Vegetarian Korean Pancake or if you are vegan, try this Korean savory scallion pancake!
But I have a feeling that you would enjoy my crispy and chewy, salty, spicy, and savory vegan Korean kimchi pancakes!
Happy eating, my friends.
Vegan Korean Kimchi Pancakes
Vegan Korean Kimchi Pancakes – Spicy and savory vegan kimchi pancake that is crispy on the edge, chewy in the middle.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 small pancakes 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Pan fried
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For Vegan Korean Kimchi Pancakes
- 1 cup fermented kimchi, cut into small pieces if they are bigger than bite-size
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon starch (you can use corn starch or potato starch)
- 1 tablespoon kimchi juice
- 1/3 cup ice-cold water
-
1/4 large onion, thinly sliced
-
3 green onion, sliced diagonally
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2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
For Dipping Sauce
-
1 tablespoon soy sauce
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1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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1 teaspoon agave nectar
Instructions
For Vegan Korean Kimchi Pancakes
- In a medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, corn starch, and ice-cold water until there are no lumps in the mixture.
- In a large-size mixing bowl, mix together chopped kimchi, kimchi juice, sliced onion, and green onion. Add the flour mixture and stir to mix well.
- Heat the 8 inches non-skillet pan on medium-high heat with 1/2 tablespoon of grapeseed oil.
- Once the oil is heated, add a heaping 1/2 cup amount of pancake batter to the pan.
- Using a wooden spoon, spread the batter on the pan evenly.
- Once the edge of the pancakes is cooked and slightly brown (about 3-4 minutes), carefully flip the pancake.
- Continue to cook the pancake for additional 2-3 minutes.
- Take the pancake out of the skillet. On the same skillet, add about 1/2 tablespoons of oil and repeat the process until you finish cooking the rest of the pancakes. This batter should make about 4 pancakes.
For Dipping Sauce
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Mix together everything for the dipping sauce in a small bowl and serve with the pancake.
Notes
- Most of the time, you don’t have to separately season the pancake batter with salt because there is plenty of salt in Kimchi. However, taste your kimchi before making the pancake. If it is not salty enough, you can add a pinch of salt to the batter.
- If the kimchi you have is not sour, you can leave the kimchi on your countertop for a day or two. Then your kimchi should be fully fermented.
Keywords: vegan Korean kimchi pancakes, kimchi pancakes, Korean pancakes, vegan pancakes
Your kimchi pajeon looks delicious.
Hi James, Thank you!
You must know about Korean food! I was pleasantly surprised when you called it kimchi pajeon, haha. Hope you try the recipe. It’s a really good one 😉 Have a good one!