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Hwajeon
Flower rice cake pancakes
화전 · pan-fried sweet rice cakes pressed with spring flowers
In April, when the azaleas bloom on Korean hillsides, women in Joseon times climbed to picnic spots for hwajeonnori, the flower-cake party, frying little rice cakes with fresh petals pressed into them on the spot. Hwajeon are still made for spring festivals and Samjinnal, the third day of the third lunar month. The cakes are soft and chewy, barely crisp at the edges, and brushed with syrup. The common mistake is frying over too high a heat: the cakes should stay white with the flower bright, so keep the pan low and turn only once. Use only flowers you know are edible and unsprayed, such as pansies, violas or azalea (jindallae) petals; never ornamental shop flowers. Rice cakes are chewy and sticky, a known choking risk: cut them into small pieces for young children and older people and eat them sitting down. Chef's tip: press the flower on after you flip the cake, so it warms through and sticks without browning.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 7 oz glutinous rice flourdry
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup hot waterjust off the boil; you may need a little more
- 12 edible unsprayed flowerspansies, violas or azalea petals, rinsed and dried
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 tbsp rice syrupor honey for a vegetarian, not vegan, version
- 1 tbsp pine nuts (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 7 oz glutinous rice flour and ¼ tsp salt, then stir in ¾ cup hot water gradually with a spoon. Knead with your hands for 3 minutes until smooth and soft, like an earlobe. Cover so it doesn't dry.
5 minStep 2: Roll into 12 balls and flatten each into a disc about 6 cm across and 5 mm thick.
Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a non-stick pan over a low heat. Fry the discs for 2–3 minutes until the bottoms are set but still white.
3 minStep 4: Flip, press one of the 12 edible unsprayed flowers onto each top with a spatula and fry for 2 minutes more, until the cakes turn slightly translucent and soft. Work in batches.
2 minStep 5: Lift onto a plate, brush with 3 tbsp rice syrup and scatter with 1 tbsp pine nuts. Serve warm; they harden as they cool.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hwajeon take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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