Mung Bean Pancakes | Bindaedduk (빈대떡)

Back in 2019 (pre-pandemic life) I visited Korea for a weekend to see some family and one afternoon we went to Gwangjang Market, namely because we wanted to get kalguksu from the lady featured on Netflix's Street Food) and while we were there, we also got bindaedduk, which is a savory pancake made with loads of stuff.

It's relatively easy to recreate at home, though, it'll never taste as good as it does from the market because they griddle it on the plancha with way too much oil and there's just something about eating it hot off a paper plate that makes it so much more decadent and indulgent.

Ingredients [yields 6 to 8 pancakes]:
1 cup dried mung beans (split and hulled) or soy beans
1 cup kimchi, chopped
4 to 6 scallions, chopped
3 oz. sliced pork belly, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice flour
+ oil for frying

dipping sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds

The beans need to soak until they're completely rehydrated so at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. I've tried this with both mungbeans and soybeans and I have to say I prefer the mungbeans. They have a slightly nuttier flavor whereas the soybeans have a grassier flavor.

Use a food processor to finely grind the beans to the texture of coarse sand. Then, mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir until homogenous. The uncooked batter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month.

The pork is optional, but I like it. It makes the pancakes a bit heartier and also allows them to be enjoyed as a pretty nourishing meal.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Portion batter onto the pan and cook until golden brown, two to three minutes per side.

The pancakes should be served warm with a simple dipping sauce made of just soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. But honestly, they can be served plain, they can be eaten cooled, they can be enjoyed cold. I love the crisp exterior, the satisfyingly crumbly texture, the random bits of vegetables and kimchi mixed throughout; it's like every bite is the same and familiar yet always different depending on where the various mix-ins happen to have landed.

Here's the recipe page: