3 KOREAN VEGETABLE PANCAKES

SERVES 2–3

A quick, but deeply satisfying dinner, late-night snack, breakfast or lunch. It uses up all the bits in the fridge – almost any combination works.

I’m fascinated by savoury pancakes: okonomiyaki in Japan or yachaejeon in Korea, spring onion (scallion) pancakes from China and even corn Johnny cakes from America. A wonderfully clever use of vegetables, and great inspiration for a different type of meal, this is my take on a Korean-style vegetable pancake.

VEGETABLES

• 200 g cabbage, sliced thinly

• 5 ml (1 tsp) fine sea salt

• 80 g spring onions

• 70 g carrot, grated

• 80 g kimchi, chopped

BATTER

• 80 g cake wheat flour

• 35 g rice flour

• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) baking powder

• 15 g cornflour

• a pinch of ground turmeric

• 165 ml (2⁄3 cup) water

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) kimchi juice

DIPPING SAUCE

• ½ a small French shallot, diced finely

• 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped finely

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) light soya sauce

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) rice wine vinegar

• 5 ml (1 tsp) white sugar

• 5 ml (1 tsp) sesame oil

• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for frying

1. Mix the cabbage with the salt and squeeze it with your hands, crushing the cabbage as hard as you can. Allow it to sit at least 10 minutes.

2. Slice the spring onions into 3 cm lengths and combine with the carrot and kimchi in a mixing bowl.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the dry batter ingredients, then add in the water and kimchi juice. Whisk until smooth.

4. Rinse the cabbage in cold water to remove the salt. Squeeze out all the water and combine with the other veggies, giving them a toss before adding them to the batter mix. Stir to combine and set aside.

5. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.

6. Heat a small non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the oil and, once the pan is hot, add a large scoop of the pancake batter. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Continue with the remaining batter.

7. To keep the cooked pancakes warm, place them on a rack sitting over a baking tray in a 60°C oven until ready to serve.

8. Cut the warm pancakes into rough wedges and serve with the dipping sauce. The combination of rice flour and cake wheat flour in the batter creates a better consistency for frying. Cornflour also aids in this – both cornflour and rice flour absorb less moisture than wheat flour does, resulting in something more crisp and less greasy. Wheat flour still has a role to play, as its gluten helps the batter cling to whatever it is you’re frying. The mix of all three is crucial to the success of this recipe.