Crispy Sweet Potato and Potato Jeon (Pancake)
Crispy Sweet Potato and Potato Jeon (Pancake)
How to Make Delicious Sweet Potato and Potato Jeon
My friend shared some unique squashed pumpkins and ‘mancharang’ (a type of pumpkin). I had never heard of it before, but it’s a long, slender pumpkin, a hybrid of Korean pumpkin and sweet pumpkin. It has the shape of a Korean pumpkin but the sweet taste of a sweet pumpkin. Its skin is less tough than a regular sweet pumpkin, making it easy to peel with a grater. The flesh is also thicker, providing a generous amount after peeling and deseeding. If ‘mancharang’ is hard to find, you can substitute with regular sweet pumpkin. We’re making a jeon by julienning sweet pumpkin and potatoes until they’re crispy. The sweet pumpkin becomes wonderfully caramelized, and the potatoes add a delightful crunch, almost making it seem like a pure sweet pumpkin jeon. The nutty and sweet flavor is incredibly appetizing! I had this jeon for dinner without any rice, and it was surprisingly filling and satisfying.
Main Ingredients- 1 potato (medium-sized)
- 1/4 sweet pumpkin (or 4 pre-cut pieces of store-bought sweet pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup Korean pancake mix (buchim garu)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Korean green chili (cheongyang chili) (adjust for spice preference)
- A few slices of red chili (for garnish, optional)
- Cooking oil (generous amount)
Dipping Sauce- A little wild garlic or chopped green onion
- 1 Tbsp thinly sliced onion
- 1 Korean green chili (finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (yangjo ganjang)
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (yeom mat ganjang) or regular soup soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- A pinch of sesame seeds
- A little wild garlic or chopped green onion
- 1 Tbsp thinly sliced onion
- 1 Korean green chili (finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (yangjo ganjang)
- 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (yeom mat ganjang) or regular soup soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- A pinch of sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Cut the sweet pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. This ensures a cleaner preparation.
Step 2
After preparing the pumpkin, cut it into manageable pieces. Then, use a grater or julienne peeler to thinly peel the skin. The smooth surface makes this step quite easy.
Step 3
Julienne the peeled sweet pumpkin into thin strips, about 0.3 cm thick. If the pieces are too thick, they may not cook through properly. Aim for about 4 pieces’ worth of pumpkin.
Step 4
Peel one medium potato and julienne it into thin strips, similar in thickness to the sweet pumpkin. Finely chop one Korean green chili (deseeded if you prefer less heat).
Step 5
In a bowl, combine the Korean pancake mix and water. Start with a 1:1 ratio, but feel free to adjust the consistency as needed.
Step 6
Add the julienned sweet pumpkin, potato, and chopped green chili to the bowl. Pour in the pancake mix and water. Gently mix everything together until it forms a batter with a consistency similar to yogurt – not too thin, not too thick. The key is to use just enough batter to bind the ingredients, allowing their natural flavors to shine.
Step 7
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a generous amount of cooking oil. Spoon portions of the batter onto the hot pan, then gently press them down with a spatula to form thin pancakes. Avoid making them too thick so they cook evenly.
Step 8
Cook each side until golden brown and crispy. For a touch of color and visual appeal, place 2-3 slices of red chili on top of the pancakes during the last minute of cooking.
