Selina S. Lee

Photo | Selina S. Lee

It’s been a while since I made this favorite snack/dessert. Korean sweet potato, Goguma is in season at its best during winter. I had forgotten about it and decided to make it before they go out of season. I bought a whole bag of it and ate half of it as roasted (In the toaster oven at 475°F for 45 minutes) and used the rest for this dish. These are also great after-school snacks for the kiddos. I like to fry them without any flour coating because the starch itself creates a nice thin crispy skin. I’m assuming this will work great using the air fryer but yet to be tested. So yum!

Goguma Matang (고구마 맛탕) Honey Glazed Sweet Potato – 4 servings

Ingredient
3-4 gogumas (1.75 lb) sweet potato, cut into big chunks
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tsp of mixed (black/white) toasted sesame seeds
2 cups of vegetable oil

1. In a cast iron dutch oven or in a large wok, heat up oil at 320 – 350°F.
2. Carefully add the sweet potato to the oil away from you. Set the time for 5 minutes. Use the wooden chopstick to stir and flip them around occasionally so that they will fry evenly on the surface until golden brown. Fry them in two batches.
3. Transfer to a resting rack over a parchment or a paper towel. While it’s still warm, in a large mixing bowl, add fried goguma, honey, and sesame seeds to toss together.

Photo | Selina S. Lee

I’ve always thought ‘ban ban’ (half and half) of Jjajangmyeon and Jjampoong at Korean Chinese restaurants were a genius idea. Whoever came up with that idea as well as the divided bowls for it deserves to win an award. 😀 I’m bandwagoning on that idea and made a ban ban Korean pancakes. Half with chives and onion and another half with kimchi. It’s perfect for people that want both at the same time. The pancake batter sticks and binds well together so you can make them in one pan. Make sure to give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Half & Half Pancake (반반부침게) – 4 servings

Ingredient
1 cup Korean pancake mix flour (부침가루)
½ cup Korean frying mix flour (튀김가루)
1 small bunch (5 oz) of Korean chives, cut 2-inches length
½ yellow onion (5 oz), julienned
3 scallions (2 oz), finely chopped
1 cup kimchi, chopped
10 sheets kkaennip perilla leaves, sliced – optional
12 oz sparkling water or cold water
4 tbsp or more canola oil

1. In a large mixing bowl, add pancake mix and frying mix flour with sparkling water. Using a whisk, mix until no crumbs. Divide the mixture into two bowls. 
2. Add chives, onion, and perilla (if using) to one mixture. Add kimchi and scallion on the other. 
3. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add chives and onion mixture on one side, and add kimchi on the other side (half and half). Using a wooden chopstick, poke holes in the batter to let the oil penetrate. Cook it for 2-3 minutes until the edges are getting crispy and cook evenly on one side. Using a large flipper to flip over. 
4. Lower the heat and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes. Flip it one more time to cook both sides until crispy.

Tip: Use garlic chives instead of Korean chives if not accessible.