Wow!! It’s been so long! Hope you have all been well and had a very merry Christmas!
My brain has been brewing posts for the past two months and I don’t know where to start! But since the new year is coming up, thought I’d do a food post.
My family celebrates January 1st’s new year more than the Korean traditional Goo-Jung or lunar calendar new year. On January 1st, I take my whole family, and we make our rounds- first to my husband’s parents, then my grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. My kids will typically wear the hanbok and “sae bae”- a traditional bow for the new year. The older parents/grandparents/aunts sit before the child cross-legged, and the kids bow on their knees while saying, ” Blessings in the new year.” Then the adults respond with a blessing for the kids as well and hand them a white envelope with… You got it, allowance money! I remember doing this as a child and loving all the CASH! haha:) Now my kids get to do it!
Usually we eat Rice Cake Soup, or Dduk Mandoo Gook. My grandma used to cook up a storm with squash pancakes, fish battered in egg, perilla (ggaenip) filled with meat battered in egg, Jahb-chae, galbi-jjim and more! Oh man, I can see the food posts coming out of this one…:)
In the line of Korean pancakes, you have everything from kimchi, squash, to seafood and leek.
My mom recently taught me how to make a REALLY GOOD leek & onion pancake, so I will share that one with you!
Korean Leek & Onion Pancake
Serving Size: Makes 6-12 medium-sized pancakes
Ingredients:
2 bundles of Korean leek ( this may be garlic chives- not sure), washed thoroughly and cut into 2 inch segments
1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups flour or Korean pancake flour: sold at Asian market ( I recommend the Korean pancake flour because it is already seasoned)
1 cup water
Optional: Dipping soy sauce
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 tablespoon sesame seed
1/3 cup minced green onion
Directions:
1. Combine leek and onion in mixing bowl.
2. Add enough flour to cover all of the leeks and onions, but not too much that it buries it.
3. Add water to make batter thin consistency.
4. Heat pan with tablespoon of oil on high heat.
5. Scoop batter with leek and onion and pour onto pan into medium-sized circle; spread veggies out evenly.
6. After batter has cooked on one side, quickly flip over and begin flattening out pancake. Turn heat to medium high.
7. Continue to flip and press until outside is crispy, golden.
8. Optional: Mix Dipping soy sauce ingredients and serve on the side with pancakes.
Two things I learned from my mom that changed my pancake-making:
1. Initial High heat : this is what gets that nice crispness
2. Just enough pancake flour: I always thought it was like making American pancakes- you need lots of batter. But it’s quite the opposite. You need just enough to hold the veggies together. This way you can really taste the veggies and still enjoy the crispness of the pancake batter.
You can pretty much make kimchi pancakes the same way. You would need to cut the kimchi and then squeeze out excess kimchi juice and then mix into batter. My father in law likes his kimchi pancakes with pork in it too.
This recipe is super easy so try the Korean leek & onion pancakes! It tastes AMAZING!!
Have a happy new year everyone!
Umma Knows Best! 