Baking
57 recipes
How good is kimchi. It is an ingredient you may be hearing a lot about lately. That is because of the amazing health benefits of fermenting, and the flavour punch it gives.
Kimchi is Korea's national dish. It is a traditional fermented side dish made of vegetables, the most common being napa cabbage (Baechu), with a variety of seasonings. Red chili pepper flakes (gochugaru) are the main ingredient for the flavour and heat.
Kimchi is made in a similar way to sauerkraut, by lacto-fermentation. In the first stage, the cabbage is soaked in a salty brine that kills off harmful bacteria. In the second stage, the remaining Lactobacillus bacteria (the good bacteria) convert sugars into lactic acid – this preserves the vegetables and is where you get that wonderful, tangy flavour.
In this recipe I use the kimchi in a popular pancake-style. I love the way they puff up in the pan and get so crunchy. I served these beauties as a starter to an Asian feast for 5 people and these were a huge hit., They were perfect in the cooling lettuce with the hot, spicy sauce.
Recipe based on Karen Martini’s recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.
Makes around 12 pancakes Vg. V. DF
Pictured: Kimchi pancakes
Ingredients
- 150g plain flour
- 150g potato starch
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt flakes
- 320g kimchi, squeezed of liquid and chopped, 50ml liquid reserved
- 6 spring onions, finely sliced
- Oil, for shallow-frying
- 1½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Iceberg lettuce cups, to serve – cut in half and soak in cold water to easily remove the leaves
- Coriander sprigs, to serve
- Sauce
- 60ml tamari or a good soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
- Pancakes-
Method
In a large bowl – mix the flour, potato starch, baking powder and salt.
Whisk in the reserved kimchi liquid and one cup of water to make a smooth batter.
Fold in the chopped kimchi and half the spring onion.
The batter should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter; add another 50 millilitres of water if it's too stiff.
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
Preheat a couple of centimetres of oil in large, flat-based frying pan until nice and hot.
Drop two tablespoons of batter for each fritter into the pan, cook three or four at a time for 2½ minutes on one side.
Sprinkle a little spring onion and sesame seeds on the uncooked sides and then flip and cook for another minute.
Drain well on paper towel and repeat.
Serve the pancakes on a platter with the other serving ingredients ready - to wrap in the lettuce cups, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with coriander.
Dietary preferences
- Vegetarian with substitutions
- Gluten-Free with substitutions
