I made kimchi yesterday in my kimchi pot (Amazon adlink: E-Jen Premium Kimchi Container), which fits one large head of Napa cabbage cut up. And I’m kind of impressed with how well it holds all the stink in, because I lifted the lid to check things out and WHEW! The whole kitchen smells like fermenting cabbage. It’s a real stinker lol.
I haven’t made kimchi in a long time. Not because I don’t know how to make it, but because it’s always so messy and stinky. I prefer eating kimchi to dealing with massive amounts of it that I have to separate into individual jars.
But since I’m growing some daikon radish, I guess I’ve gotta prepare myself for dealing with the strong stench of active fermentation. Especially if I want to cook radish kimichi with mackerel, which tastes delicious but has an aroma that refuses to be missed.
Kimich containers are also great for making sauerkraut and pickles. I chose the 1.3 gallon round container so it would fit easier in the fridge. I’m not quite up to the level of the 8.4 gallon model–I mean, I don’t think I could eat that much kimchi before I was wishing for fresher–but maybe someday.
I know that some people are so into their kimchi that they purchase temperature regulated kimchi fridges. And, you know, that makes sense if you deal with a lot of kimchi, as it can stink up your whole fridge and who wants to take an egg out of the carton and realize the shell smells like kimchi? Not I.
Anyways, I made some kimchi yesterday, and it’s still during its 24-hour sitting on the counter stage, but later today it will go in the fridge. And maybe later this week (or next week if there’s any kimchi left 😁) I’ll make some kimchi pancakes.
“Kimchi pancakes??? What are those? That sounds disgusting!” someone might say.
But nay, gentle traveler, kimchi pancakes are the shit.
They are not sweet pancakes, so get that notion out of your head. They are a more savory type of pancake, especially if you add 1/4 cup of ground pork or tuna fish or any other meat. I personally prefer mine sans meat, though I’m not too picky if someone else makes me some. I’m gracious like that 😛
Kimichi pancakes (kimchi buchimgae)
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup water
* 1/3 cup kimchi juice
* 1-1/2 cups kimchi cut bite-sized
* 1/4 cup meat (optional)
* oil for cooking
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and kimchi juice. Then mix in the cut kimchi and optional meat.
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Heat a large nonstick pan with plenty of oil over high heat. (Flat bottomed pan preferred, but you can finagle things if you’re short on pan options.) Pour one big ladleful of batter in the center of the pan and quickly spread it out so it covers all the way to the edges. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook for 5 minutes.
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Lift a small section to check to see if the bottom of the pancake has formed a golden brown crust. If it has, flip the pancake with a spatula. Drizzle a bit more oil around the edges of the pancake and shake the pan to spread the oil underneath.
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Cook the pancake until the second side has also formed a golden brown crust. Then turn the heat to low and let it cook an additional minute until its cooked all the way through.
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Transfer the pancake onto a plate and cut it into slices or bite sized bits. Share it or scarf it down yourself.
If you’ve got some older, stinkier kimchi that’s reached that “too sour to eat plain”-state but you’re not in the mood to stew it with some meat or you don’t have any rice, why not make some kimchi pancakes?
Some good additions are: julienned green onions. a hot chili sliced into thin rings. cut up mushroom. julienned zucchini. julienned daikon radish or carrot. Anything that can be cut up small enough to cook quick.
When I was a kid, my mom would take us to the Korean store, and there would always be containers with cooked kimchi pancakes in the deli section. They would be cold, having been cooked in the morning and packaged, but we would load the car with the groceries and sit there on the curb in the sunshine sharing a kimchi pancake.
Though the store-made kimchi pancakes were never quite as good as the ones my mom made fresh, there has never been a kimchi pancake I’ve said No to eating. They’re great as a snack or even a quick meal. And if you’ve already got the kimchi, the only extra ingredient you really need is some flour and water.
So yeah. I made some kimchi yesterday in my kimchi pot.
Now all I have to do is wait…
