Crispy Chive Pancake with Squid (Puchu Buchimgae)
The Secret to Crispiness! Aromatic Chive Pancake with Plenty of Squid
On a drizzly day, enjoy this chive pancake, which tastes even better with a warm soup! The harmony of chewy squid and fragrant chives is exceptional. With a special technique, anyone can make it crispy. It offers a taste you won’t forget, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.
Main Ingredients- 158g Chives (washed clean and cut into 5-6cm lengths)
- 1 Squid (cleaned and cut into very thin slices)
- 1/4 Onion (finely chopped or pureed)
- 1 Red chili pepper (seeds removed and thinly sliced)
- 2 Dried shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated and thinly sliced)
- 2-3 Tbsp Breadcrumbs (for extra crispiness!)
Batter Ingredients- 40g Tempura flour
- 40g Pancake mix
- 75ml Cold water (adjust as needed for batter consistency)
- Pinch of salt (optional, adds umami)
- 40g Tempura flour
- 40g Pancake mix
- 75ml Cold water (adjust as needed for batter consistency)
- Pinch of salt (optional, adds umami)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare all the ingredients for the pancake: squid, chives, onion, red chili pepper, and shiitake mushrooms. It’s especially important to slice the squid very thinly; if it’s too thick, the pancake will be difficult to cook evenly and will end up thick. This is the first secret to making a crispy pancake.
Step 2
Cut the prepared chives into nice, bite-sized pieces of about 5-6cm length. If they are too short, they might fall apart when cooked, and if too long, they can be awkward to eat.
Step 3
Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms as well. Remove the seeds from the red chili pepper and slice it thinly for color. Slicing all the ingredients thinly helps them cook evenly and quickly, improving the overall texture.
Step 4
Cut the onion into small pieces and blend until finely pureed. Adding pureed onion to the batter imparts a subtle sweetness and umami, making the pancake much more delicious. If you don’t have a blender, you can chop it very finely.
Step 5
Now, let’s make the batter. In a bowl, combine 40g each of tempura flour and pancake mix. Add 75ml of cold water and a pinch of salt to season the pancake and enhance its flavor. Since you’re adding pureed onion, adjust the amount of water to achieve the desired batter consistency – not too runny, but enough to bind the ingredients well.
Step 6
Add the sliced chives, squid, mushrooms, and chili pepper to the batter bowl. Gently mix everything together until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the batter.
Step 7
Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add a generous amount of oil. Once the pan is hot, ladle a portion of the batter onto it and spread it thinly. You can place the sliced red chili peppers on top of the batter at this stage or mix them in beforehand.
Step 8
To further enhance the crispiness of the pancake, sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over the thinly spread batter. The breadcrumbs will fry in the oil, creating an incredible crunch. This step is another secret to achieving a super crispy chive pancake.
Step 9
Once the bottom side is golden brown and the edges are starting to look crispy, carefully flip the pancake. Gently press down with your spatula as you flip, spreading it thinner for even crispier results. Cook the other side until it’s also golden brown, and your delicious chive and squid pancake is ready!
