Buchujeon is a savory pancake made with Korean garlic chives, or “buchu,” and it is a very common pancake in Korean homes.

Buchujeon can be made simply with buchu, but I usually add thinly sliced onions to add delicious sweetness to the pancakes. You can also add thinly sliced perilla leaves (“kkaennip”) and/or chili peppers. If you like it a bit meaty, add some minced pork.

When savory pancakes are seasoned with “gochujang” (red pepper paste) and/or “doenjang,” (fermented soy bean paste) they are called “jangtteok,” so the red version of this pancake is called buchu jangtteok. I only used gochujang in this recipe. It adds a nice spicy kick to the pancakes.

You can make two large pancakes with this recipe and cut it into small pieces before serving or simply let diners tear into it with chopsticks as they eat. You can also make a few small pieces instead. 

Ingredients (makes two large pancakes or six small ones):

1 cup “buchimgaru” (Korean pancake mix)

85 grams garlic chives, buchu

1/4 medium onion

1 teaspoon soup soy sauce (or regular soy sauce or fish sauce)

Spicy version:

1 cup buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix)

85 grams garlic chives, buchu

1/4 medium onion

1 tablespoon gochujang

Cut the garlic chives into about 5-centimeter pieces. Thinly slice the onion.

Add the pancake mix to a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of icy cold water and mix lightly. The batter should be thin.

Mix in the garlic chives and onion.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Ladle the mixture into the pan, and spread it evenly into a thin round shape. Cook until the edges turn light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low if the pancake browns too quickly. Turn it over, adding more oil to the sides of the pan, and press it down with a spatula. Cook until the other side is light golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Repeat the process until there is no remaining batter. Serve hot with a dipping sauce, if desired.

For more recipes visit www.koreanbapsang.com.

By Ro Hyo-sun