South AfricanAsianFusion

Atchar Pancake (Kimchi Jeon-Inspired)

A bold, crispy South African spin on a classic Korean savoury pancake.

A crispy, savoury pancake inspired by Korean kimchi jeon, but made with bold, spiced South African vegetable atchar. Using the exact same traditional technique but offering a completely different flavour profile, this pancake is tangy, spicy, and deeply aromatic with that signature crisp edge.

By Ivana Sanshia · Updated Sep 2026

Atchar Pancake (Kimchi Jeon-Inspired), a South African recipe
Prep10 min
Cook10 min
Chilling15 min
Total20 min
Serves2-4
LevelEasy
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Before you start

Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.

Method

  1. 1

    Make the Batter

    In a bowl, whisk the 125 g (1 cup) plain flour, 16g (2 tbsp) rice flour, a pinch of salt, and 180ml (¾ cup) ice-cold water until smooth. It should form a light, pourable batter.

  2. 2

    Add Vegetables

    Drain the 180 g (¾ cup) vegetable atchar of excess oil, then gently fold it into the batter. Do not overmix.

  3. 3

    Place the entire bowl of batter into the freezer to chill completely.

    ⏱ 15 min

The rest of this recipe

There’s 3 more ingredients and 4 more steps to go.

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Ivana Sanshia’s note

The secret to getting that elite, ultra-crispy edge is extreme temperature contrast, which is why we chill the batter in the freezer for 15 minutes. While traditional Korean pancakes use a larger amount of frying oil, vegetable atchar already contains a high oil content. Go easy on the oil in the pan, otherwise the pancake will turn out soggy.

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Filed under

BreakfastLunchDinnerSnackVegetarianVeganDairy-FreeSummerSpring

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