Gamja jeon
감자전 · Lacy Gangwon potato pancakes with green chilli and a soy-vinegar dip
On rainy afternoons in Gangwon province, roadside stalls and mountain trail restaurants fry gamja jeon (감자전): pancakes of nothing but grated potato, salt and a few slices of chilli, fried in plenty of oil until the edges turn lacy and glassy-crisp while the middle stays soft and chewy. It is a different thing from a Western rösti, made from a wet purée rather than shreds. Eat them hot with a sharp soy dipping sauce and a bowl of makgeolli or barley tea. Chef's tip: press each pancake thin with the back of a spoon as soon as it hits the pan; thick ones stay gluey inside.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the pancakes
For the dipping sauce
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp water and ½ tsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Finely grate 1 ⅛ lb potatoes and ¼ onion (or blend them) into a sieve set over a bowl. Press lightly to drain off the liquid, then leave the liquid for 5 minutes so the starch settles.
5 minStep 3: Pour off the brown water from the bowl, keeping the white starch. Stir the starch back into the potato with ½ tsp salt; the mixture should be thick and wet, like porridge.
Step 4: Heat 2 tablespoons of 5 tbsp neutral oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat until it shimmers. Drop in 3 heaped spoonfuls of the mixture, spread each into a 10 cm round about 5 mm thick and lay a few slices of 1 green chilli and ½ red chilli on top.
Step 5: Fry for 3–4 minutes, until the edges look golden, crisp and lacy and you can slide a spatula under. Flip, add a little more oil around the sides and fry for 2–3 minutes more until both sides are golden and the centre feels set when pressed.
7 minStep 6: Drain briefly on kitchen paper and repeat with the rest, adding oil each time. A common mistake is skimping on the oil: the edges only turn crisp when they actually fry. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.
6 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 45 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gamja jeon take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of green chilli?
- A pinch of chilli flakes per chilli.
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