Kimchijeon aka Korean-Style Gluten-Free Kimchi Pancake
Kimchijeon (김치전) is a popular Korean-style savory pancake made with kimchi. It’s salty, spicy, and at the same time a little crisp and chewy. It makes a great savory breakfast, lunch, snack, or light dinner. Or you can have one as a side dish instead of bread, naan, or rice.
Meet my gluten-free, vegan version of the Kimchijeon (김치전), a popular Korean-style savory pancake made with kimchi.
Why You Should Also Consider Chickpea Flour For your Kimchi Pancakes
Kimchi pancakes are commonly made with wheat flour, sometimes they contain a beaten egg which is totally optional and not needed to make a kimchi pancake.
At our home, we try to avoid gluten-containing foods as much as possible. For years we have been treating my hubby’s autoimmune disease through the power of whole foods. Gluten can trigger a severe autoimmune response or other unpleasant symptoms. Plus, most non-organic foods containing gluten are laced with glyphosate. But that’s a story for another time.
Chickpea flour (aka besan) is a must-have when you are avoiding gluten. Though it doesn’t work as a replacement for wheat flour in every recipe, for these pancakes it works just fine. It tastes so much better and adds more nutrients to this dish. Chickpea flour packs more proteins and fewer carbs and calories compared the wheat flour. Plus, it has more vitamin C, folate, and calcium.
PLUS, according to a study published in the journal Food Hydrocolloids, as opposed to wheat flour, chickpea flour may lower the diabetes risk. They found that it may improve blood glucose regulation which makes it an excellent flour substitute for (pre-)diabetics.
Servings
2 people
Ready In:
15 min
Calories:
167 (per pancake)
Good For:
Breakfast, Side Dish
Introduction
About this Recipe
By: Amy Goodrich
A savory breakfast favorite at our home. Below I will share the basic recipe for the kimchi pancake which can be topped/filled with anything savory you can think of.
This time we filled our pancake with rocket lettuce, red cabbage, tomatoes, and the beetroot sauerkraut I started making recently.
Another filling I like – the hubby not so much as he hates mushrooms – is a pan-cooked kale, garlic, and mushroom mix topped with a few slices of avocado.
Ingredients
- 80 g or 2.8 oz besan or chickpea flour
- 80 g or 2.8 oz kimchi
- 1 tbsp kimchi brine
- 80 ml or 2.7 fl.oz water
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Meet the powerhouse rock stars of this dish
Nutrition
This recipe has all you need to start the day fully energized. Chickpea flour is full of good-for-you nutrients. It’s an excellent alternative to refined wheat flour. It’s lower in carbs and calories yet richer in protein and dietary fiber.
Though breakfast isn’t the most important meal of the day – everything we eat is equally important to nourish our body – starting your day with a gluten-free kimchi pancake filled with plant-based whole foods will fill you up and give you the energy you need to start your day.
- Dietary fiber 16%
- Carbs 9%
- Fat 3%
- Protein 19.6%
- Calories 8.4%
NOTE:
The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for protein is 0.36 grams of protein per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight.
This amounts to:
56 grams per day for the average sedentary man
46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Whisk together the chickpea flour, kimchi brine, water, baking powder, and pink salt until you have a smooth batter.
Step 2
Add the kimchi and mix again until well combined.
Step 3
Over medium heat, heat the cooking oil of your choice in a non-stick pan. Add half of the batter. flatten it out a bit from the top and let cook for a few minutes. Once one side is slightly brown, flip the kimchi pancake. Cook both sides until lightly brown. The timing of cooking will depend on the size and thickness of your pancake. When ready transfer to a plate and repeat for the second pancake.
Step 4
Top half of the pancake with whatever you feel like. Fold and enjoy! You can also top the entire pancake and eat unfolded. This is really up to you.
FYI: this time, we topped ours with rocket lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, and beetroot sauerkraut.
Easy, Printable Recipe Card
Kimchijeon aka Korean-Style Gluten-Free Kimchi Pancake
Whether you have this gluten-free kimchi pancake filled with veggies as a breakfast, lunch or light dinner or you serve it as a side with a curry or stew, you will not be disappointed by its spicy, salty, delicious flavor.
Ingredients
- 80 g or 2.8 oz besan or chickpea flour
- 80 g or 2.8 oz kimchi
- 1 tbsp kimchi brine
- 80 ml or 2.7 fl oz water
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the chickpea flour, kimchi brine, water, baking powder, and pink salt until you have a smooth batter.
- Add the kimchi and mix again until well combined.
- Over medium heat, heat the cooking oil of your choice in a non-stick pan. Add half of the batter. flatten it out a bit from the top and let cook for a few minutes. Once one side is slightly brown, flip the kimchi pancake.
- Cook both sides until lightly brown. The timing of cooking will depend on the size and thickness of your pancake. When ready transfer to a plate and repeat for the second pancake.
- Top half of the pancake with whatever you feel like. Fold and enjoy! You can also top the entire pancake and eat unfolded. This is really up to you.
FYI: this time, we topped ours with rocket lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, and beetroot sauerkraut.
