Crispy and Delicious Traditional Korean Potato Pancake (Gamjajeon)
[Stella’s Home Cooking] Rainy Day Special: Potato Pancakes and Makgeolli!
I love shopping at traditional markets! My mom always said to buy manufactured goods at supermarkets, but fruits and vegetables at the market. Luckily, I live near one, which is wonderful! Buying about 2,000 won worth of potatoes fills a whole basket. While I love potatoes, that’s still too much for one person to eat. So today, I decided to use up some potatoes by making potato pancakes! It was raining, which made me think of makgeolli (Korean rice wine) ^^. After making the potato pancakes, I went to visit my grandparents. This recipe focuses on making incredibly crispy and flavorful gamjajeon using a blender for a fine potato puree and incorporating both the starch and the pulp for maximum taste and texture.
Pancake Ingredients
- 8 Potatoes (medium-sized)
- 1 Onion (medium-sized)
Soy Sauce Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 Onion (finely minced)
- 5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Vinegar
- A pinch of Gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 1/4 Onion (finely minced)
- 5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Vinegar
- A pinch of Gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the potatoes and onion. Peel them and cut them into manageable pieces, then place them in a blender. Using a blender is much faster and safer than a grater, allowing even beginners to achieve a fine potato puree quickly.
Step 2
Blend the potatoes and onion in the blender until finely pureed. Place the blended mixture into a fine-mesh sieve to drain the liquid. Don’t discard the potato pulp left in the sieve; collect it separately as it’s a crucial ingredient.
Step 3
Let the strained potato liquid sit undisturbed for about 20 minutes. You’ll notice it separates into a clear liquid on top and a white starch layer at the bottom. Carefully pour off the clear liquid, reserving the starchy sediment at the bottom.
Step 4
Combine the reserved potato pulp from the sieve with the potato starch that has settled at the bottom. Mixing these two components together is key to achieving a chewy and rich texture in your potato pancake.
Step 5
Heat a pan over medium heat. Spoon the batter onto the hot pan to form pancakes of your desired size. Aim for a thickness that is not too great for even cooking. Cook slowly and gently over medium heat for a sufficient amount of time.
Step 6
Once the pancakes are partially cooked, reduce the heat to low. With patience, flip them and cook until they are golden brown and perfectly crispy. This low and slow cooking method is essential for achieving that delightful crispiness! Mix all the dipping sauce ingredients together to serve alongside. Enjoy your delicious homemade gamjajeon!
