Korean Leek Pancake

Happy National Virtual Vacation Day! 

 

As spring break season hits (our local public schools will have it next week) some people are busy planning on vacation. After graduating from college, I really don’t have spring break but I’m willing to go somewhere I can relax and have fun. It still isn’t a good time traveling, so why not cook some unique food and enjoy a virtual vacation? 

 

If there is no budget limit and burden for this COVID-19 situation, the first place I want to go other than my home country is Korea. Even though Japan and Korea are next to each other, I never had a chance to visit there. Korea is a great destination for Japanese people especially in terms of convenient location, so travel agencies often had sales for package tours.

 

I really love their food, so whenever someone talks about Korean BBQ, Korean hot dogs made with cheese, or soon tofu makes me want to pack a luggage right away. I grew up with a family which is conservative about what we eat, so the real Korean food I tried was after I came to the US. I still remember the first bite of a Korean seafood pancake. With just a bite, I already fell in love and asked to visit that restaurant again whenever we went out for dinner. 

 

And now, my stomach and taste buds are calling Korean pancakes, so let’s make some simple Korean pancakes and enjoy a virtual vacation! 

 

Ready to check how I made it? Let’s cook! 

 

<Today’s Recipe>

Korean Leek Pancake

<Ingredients>

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Pancake

• 80g potato starch
• 80g all purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ bunch Chinese leek – sliced in half length
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil for baking

Sauce

• Some Chinese leek – chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

 

<Direction>

1. Combine all ingredients for the sauce together in a mixing bowl and let the leek’s flavor infused to the liquid ingredients.
2. Make dough – combine all ingredients together in a bowl and lightly mix.
3. Pour sesame oil in a pan and cook leek. Reduce heat to medium heat and pour over the dough and cook for about 5 min.
4. Flip the dough over and cook 5 min more.
5. Serve with sauce.

 

<Cooking Tips>

You can of course play with ingredients. I used Chinese leeks this time, but since they have an intense flavor you can use scallion instead. And my favorite topping is seafood mix…aww I miss those days I could eat meat and seafood freely! 

Mmm,  good! This is a vegan version, but if I can visit the Korean restaurant in LA again, I will happily break my diet and order a big batch of seafood Korean pancakes! 

 

What country do you want to go to, if there is no budget limit? 

 

<Other Korean Food to Try>

Stretch the cheese as you pull! Korean Corn Cheese

Make some burnt part, that’s so good! Grilled Bibimbap Rice Balls

Perfect refreshing sidedish! Veggie Namul

Enjoy home cooking and your own creation of homemade food:)