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.
