Crispy pancake with brown sugar nut filling (hotteok)

If you are ever in Korea, there is absolutely nothing like this - a sweet pancake that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a sweet cinnamon and nut filling that is highly addictive.

Credit: Billy Law

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing and frying
• 130 g (4½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 80 g (2¾ oz) glutinous rice flour
• ½ tsp salt

Filling

• 115 g (4 oz/½ cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Rising time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. To make the dough, add 150 ml (5 fl oz) lukewarm water to a bowl and mix in the sugar, yeast and vegetable oil. Stir, and leave to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture is foamy.
2. Sift the plain and rice flours into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir with a fork to form a wet dough. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2–3 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
3. To make the filling, place the brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
4. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a log, then divide into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
5. Grease both hands with a little bit of vegetable oil. Grab a dough ball and flatten it out by pressing it firmly between the palms of your hands until it is about 5 mm (¼ in) thick. Pinch a 1 cm (½ in) border around the edge of the dough to flatten slightly so that it is not too thick when you fold it over later. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
6. Put one-quarter of the nut filling in the centre of each disc of dough. Fold the edges over the filling and pinch together to seal like a parcel. Make sure the filling is completely sealed, otherwise it will leak out when frying.
7. Place the filled dough balls, seam side down, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Gently flatten the balls with the palm of your hand until they are about 1 cm (½ in) thick.
8. Heat about 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Oil a wide spatula by dipping it into the oil in the pan so it won’t stick when flipping the pancakes.
9. Fry two pancakes at a time in the hot oil, seam side down, leaving some space between them so they don’t stick together. Fry for 2 minutes, then carefully flip and fry for another 2 minutes on the other side. If the pancakes start to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium–low. Use the spatula to press the pancakes down in the pan so they cook evenly. The pancakes are ready when both sides are golden brown and crispy.
10. Remove the pancakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack with paper towel underneath to catch the excess oil.
11. Allow the pancakes to cool for 3–5 minutes before eating as the filling will be very hot.

 

Recipe and images from Little Korea Iconic Dishes and Cult Recipes by Billy Law, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.