Gamja Buchimgae (Korean Potato Pancakes)
감자 부침개
This potato pancake is different from the pajeon that you often see in Korean restaurants. This pancake is made out of just potatoes, instead of flour like pajeon. Because of this, the consistency and appearance of the pancake is quite unique, slightly chewy and almost translucent. Although this recipe uses very few ingredients, it can be somewhat time consuming to make. Also I like to make this very spicy, but you can use fewer jalapeno peppers for less spice.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 5 lb large potatoes
- 10-15 jalapeno peppers (less if less spice preferred)
- 1 bunch Korean chives (buchu 부추)
- 3 tbsp salt
- bowl of vegetable or canola oil for frying
Recipe Steps:
- Wash and peel potatoes, cut into finger size pieces, and grind in a food processor, adding a little water so it will grind smoothly. When finished grinding, put potato meat in a mesh cloth and squeeze out the water into a bowl with a wide bottom. Let the potato starch settle at the bottom for 30 minutes to an hour or so.
- Drain out the water on top, which will be brownish/pink. Pour more water over the settled starch at the bottom, stir and let starch settle again at the bottom for another 30 minutes to hour.
- Return to the potato puree -- in a separate bowl, add enough water to cover the potato meat and stir. Squeeze the potato puree using the cloth to get some of the pink/brown colored water out. If in squeezing the potato puree, you also squeeze out some starch, add that to the other bowl where the potato starch is settling.
- Drain out all of the water from the potato starch. Add the cleansed potato puree to the remaining potato starch and mix it using both hands.
- Slice and chop the vegetables: mince jalapeno and cut chives into 2-3" length. Add both to the potatoes and mix. Add 3 tbsp of salt. Run a taste check by cooking a small amount of the mixture in the microwave. Add more salt to taste.
- Prepare a large frying pan and keep a bowl of vegetable oil and a spoon for easy addition to the pan. Heat enough vegetable oil to cover the surface and heat on medium temperature. For each pancake, scoop 3-4 tbsp of batter and flatten into a round shape with a spoon.
- These pancakes are best served fresh off the pan. However, you can also freeze them and refry -- they keep for a long time frozen.
Serving Size: 8-10
Preparation Time: 50 minutes
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