Nokdu Bindaetteok – Mung Bean and Kimchi Pancake

녹두빈대떡
Nokdu Bindaetteok dates back to at least the late 15th or very early 16th century and was originally considered a “poor man’s pancake”. Today it is a popular appetizer or snack and is served in many Korean restaurants.

Ingredients

Batter Ingredients :

7 ounces mung beans

12 ounces water (to soak beans)

2 Tablespoon rice

3 ounces water (to soak rice)

Other ingredients:

1/2 cup cooking oil

5 ounces pork (shoulder or loin)

5 ounces mung bean sprouts

Optional

4 1/2 ounces sour kimchi

3 ounces gossari (fern sprouts/fern brakken)

Pork Seasoning:

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic

1 small green onion

1 Teaspoon rice wine

1 Teaspoon sesame oil

1 dash ground black pepper

Bean Sprout Seasoning:

2 dashes salt

1 Teaspoon sesame oil

1 clove garlic

Kimchi Seasoning (if adding kimchi):

1/2 Teaspoon sugar

1 Teaspoon sesame oil

2 dashes kkaesoogeum — (sesame salt)

Gossari Seasoning (if adding Gossari):

1 Teaspoon clear (soup) soy sauce

1 Teaspoon minced garlic

1 Teaspoon minced scallion

Garnish

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 scallion

Dipping sauce:

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 Tablespoon vinegar

2 Tablespoon sugar

Alternate For Dipping:

Honey

Directions

Preparation

  • Beans and Rice:
    • Soak mung beans for about 8 hours, reserve the soak water.
    • Soak the rice for about 3 hours, drain, and rinse.
    • Place the soaked mung bean, rice, and the mung bean soak water in a blender and grind into a paste, adding a bit more water if needed to obtain a batter like consistancy.
  • Pork and Pork Seasoning:
    • Fine chop (mince) the pork.
    • Fine chop (mince) the garlic.
    • Fine chop (mince) the green onion.
    • Place the minced pork, garlic, and green onion into a bowl, add the rest of the seasonings, and mix well.
  • Bean Sprouts and Bean Sprout Seasoning:
    • Trim the tails and remove “skins” from the heads.
    • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add sprouts and cook for one minute, then quickly remove from heat, drain, and rinse in cold water.
    • Fine chop (mince)the garlic.
    • Place sprouts and garlic in a bowl, add the rest of the seasonings, and mix well.
  • Sour Kimchi and Kimchi Seasoning:
    • Cut the kimchi into thin strips (Set aside a few leafy sections for garnish), place into a bowl, add all seasonings, and mix well.
  • Gossari and Gossari Seasoning:
    • Dried sprouts – Soak in water until softened (about 2 hours), rinse well.
    • Fresh Fern sprouts – Wash thoroughly in cold running water.
    • Fresh and Dried – Bring a pot of water to a full boil, add fern sprouts, cook for about two minutes then drain and rinse in cold water.
    • Fine chop (mince) the garlic.
    • Place the fern sprouts and garlic into a bowl, add remaining seasonings, and mix well.
  • Garnish:
    • Cut the green onion in half lengthwise, then cut cut each half into roughly 1 1/2 inch lengths.
    • Thin slice the peppers on a diagonal.
  • Dipping Sauce:
    • Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl and chill.

Cook

Arrange all ingredient bowls for quick and easy access near your stove.

Heat a well oiled frying pan over medium heat.

Spoon some of the batter into the pan and quickly spread some of each ingredient (except garnish) on top.

Spoon a small amount of batter on top of the “filling”.

Lightly press some of each garnish into the batter.

Cook a few minutes until outer edges begin to brown and crisp, then flip, press down slightly, and cook until done (outer edges should be crisp and surface should be a mottled light and dark brown, and crisp along the edges of the garnish).

Serve warm with the dipping sauce or simply drizzle with warmed honey.