Hotteok Korean Pancake
Hotteok Korean Pancake
Hotteok Korean Pancake
All-Purpose Flour: A cup and a half to make the dough. If you don’t
have all-purpose flour you can use bread flour which will make the
pastry slightly more springy.
Instant Dry Yeast: One and a half teaspoon to help the dough rise.
Sugar: One and a half teaspoon of granulated white sugar to lightly
sweeten the pastry.
Salt: Half a teaspoon of salt to balance the sweetness and saltiness of
the pastry.
Milk: Since I tend to stay away from dairy products, I used oat milk
for this recipe. But feel free to use regular milk or water.
Oil: Use a neutral oil such as grapeseed to coat your hands before
assembling the hotteok. This will prevent the dough from sticking to
your skin.
Filling: A mixture of dark brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and nuts.
Another option is to purchase hotteok mix if you don’t feel like
making it from scratch. The boxes come with the flour mixture and
filling so all you have to do is add water.
1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the salt, sugar, and instant
yeast. Add the milk and oil and stir until the dough is uniform and
sticky.
2. Shape the dough into a ball and cover the mixing bowl with plastic
wrap or a towel. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or until it
doubles in size.
3. Add the ingredients of the filling into a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it a few times to remove
the gas bubbles (this part is a lot of fun!) Shape it into a ball and
cover again for an additional 20 minutes.
5. Coat your hands with a little oil and divide the dough into 8 servings.
6. Grab one piece and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Add some
filling to the center and close it by gathering the edges.
7. Fry the pancakes in a little bit of oil and cook each hotteok pancake
until they are golden brown. Serve immediately.
VARIATIONS OF HOTTEOK
I haven’t dabbled into the savory hotteok frenzy yet but I can
imagine how delicious they must be. You can’t go wrong with
pancakes filled with ingredients such as kimchi, cabbage, noodles,
cheese, or bulgogi!
If you would like to try making a savory version, just swap the
filling for one of the options above, or create your own! Just make
sure to drain any type of liquid (such as the kimchi juice) so your
pancakes don’t get soggy.
Just like Japan, Korea has a collection of delicious street foods one
must try while on vacation there. Cities like Seoul are bustling with
food stations that can be enjoyed late into the night after having a
few drinks.
It’s always fun to try popular dishes while joining a ritual that
locals take part in on a regular basis. Food and nightlife is a huge
part of Asian culture and one that deserves exploring. Personally, it
brings me closer to their culture and opens my eyes to new flavors
and ways of cooking.
Here are some of my favorite Korean street foods. The last recipe is
Japanese but is similar enough to the Korean version that I felt
comfortable including it: