There is something about a dish like this that takes me to another place- and today we are going to South Korea. Anything that has the ability to transport you out of your body to some special place, hold onto that. That’s the magic. If you have never had a kimchi pancake, you are in for a treat. There are so many directions you can go with these, but I chose a fluffy slightly sweet buttermilk pancake stuffed with kimchi and fresh green onions. Cook these in a wok, cranking the heat up at the end with a bit of oil to give the outside a nice crunch.
Store Bought Kimchi vs. Homemade Kimchi
For this recipe, I use a store bought vegan kimchi. A traditional kimchi is going to include fish sauce, luckily it’s 2022 and the vegan options are booming. I purchased a vegan brand called Lucky Foods that consists of napa cabbage, chili paste, carrot, garlic, green onions, cane sugar, onion, sea salt, and ginger. I fell deep down the kimchi rabbit hole in 2021, my refrigerator was stuffed full of homemade kimchi creations. One of my favorite vegan kimchi recipes to follow is by The Minimalist Baker. If you’ve never made your own kimchi, I highly encourage it. Something about fermenting napa cabbage… wild. Not to mention aesthetically pleasing to look at.
How to Make Vegan Buttermilk
A fluffy buttermilk pancake works perfect for these. Thats right- the same pancakes you would drown in some Canadian maple syrup. We are going to stuff them with kimchi and decorate them in a spicy mayo dressing. These pancakes should have a slight sweetness to them that will balance out the spicy kimchi flavors. For that reason, I use oat milk, the sweetest and richest of the plant milks. Mixing plant milk with an acidic like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice is the perfect vegan substitute for buttermilk. File that little tidbit in your brains file cabinet, because it will come in hand for many future recipes.
Presentation: For the Joy of It All
No pancake is complete without a sauce or syrup. I tend to use a spicy mayo, but I’ve also dappled with a teriyaki glaze or a soy sauce. Presentation is one of my favorite parts of cooking. I’m always going to urge you to make things beautiful, because it’s such an underrated joy in life. We rush, rush, rush so much. Take the time, anticipate the dish, and present it to yourself with the same love you would if the whole world was watching. Whenever I’m plating something, I go back to the younger years when we were all making things in the classroom. It was for the simple joy of it all, was it not?
I can’t wait for you to try these! Cheers and happy cooking.
“If you were born with the weakness to fall, you were born with the strength to rise.”
Rupi Kaur
