College Cooking 101 (part iii)
I'm very tired, so no introductory note this time. Just a simple recipe of Kimchee pancakes, though easily adoptable to other savory pancakes such as seafood pancakes.
Kimchee = Korean preserved vegetables, though other versions exist in Japanese and Chinese cultures. They come in many forms, and for our purpose we need cabbage Kimchee.
Chop up to a cup of Kimchee, and other ingredients. I used onions, mushrooms, and sausages. For people who don't like spicy food, it's easy to substitute the ingredients with other things. Popular choices include cabbage, scallops, prawns, etc.
Then, mix about half a cup of water with one cup of flour. Mix well. Don't worry if it looks sticky at this point. The paste gets thinner as you add in the ingredients.
To make the paste thinner I added just a spoon of Kimchee juice (you know, the liquid that it's preserved in). The color and the smell of the paste greatly improved. Add a little salt, pepper, or sugar as you like. You might also want to add a little flour or water, depending on the state of your paste. When you scoop some and drop it back into the bowl, it should not stick to your spoon, nor should it be runny.
Then comes the tricky part. Heat about a teaspoon of oil, and put some batter into the pan after the oil is heated. It doesn't matter how much batter you put, but be sure to spread it out thin with your spatula. The thinner you make your pancake, the lesser chance there is for a gooey and under-cooked middle. Flip the pancake when one side is cooked-- you can check this by poking the sides of the pancake. If the bottom still sticks to the pan, it's not cooked yet. You can gradually lift up the pancake if it is ready to be flipped. Fry until both sides are golden. I've not timed it but I think it takes about 5 minutes to make one.
Tip: for a crispier pancake, don't add too much oil. If possible, don't add anymore oil after the first pancake.
Voila! This dish makes a wonderful snack, but can also serve as a main dish. The plainer form of this (just flour, water, green onion, and dried shrimps) is a really popular Chinese breakfast, eaten together with congee. Koreans like them with Kimchee, of course. The Japanese like them with cabbage and dried fish flakes.
Brief recap:
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
~1 cup Kimchee
Other ingredients like green onions, onions, ham, mushrooms, etc.
Pinch of salt
First, chop all ingredients.
Then, mix flour and water well. Don't worry if batter is sticky at this time.
Add chopped ingredients. Batter should start to thin. (Optional) Adding a spoon of Kimchee juice into batter will thin it, as well as give it a better smell and color.
Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
Heat a small spoon of oil. Put batter into heated pan, and spread it thin with the spatula/turner. This will help the pancake be cooked thoroughly.
Let one side stay for about 2 minutes, or until it is cooked. To check whether it's done, poke sides with the spatula/turner. The pancake should come off easily if it's cooked. Flip it to the other side and cook until both sides are golden (about 5 - 6 minutes).
To make crisp pancakes, do not add too much oil. In fact, if possible, do not add oil after the first pancake.
Feeds one to two. :D