Asian Food

Have you ever watched a show called “Kim’s Convenience”?

It’s about Mr. Kim who owns and runs a convenience store in Toronto and his family.

Mr. Kim and his wife are from South Korea, and their adult kids were born in Canada.

I don’t share exactly the same background with them, but there are still so many things that they say or do that make me chuckle.

One episode we just watched a few nights ago was about Bindaetteok.

Their daughter, Janet, makes Korean pancakes “Bindaetteok” using a recipe she found online instead of her mother’s recipe

Her dad tries and loves it, but of course he hides that from his wife.

Eventually Janet’s mom tries it herself, realizes that it’s better than hers, and tries to get the recipe from Janet without admitting it’s better than hers or looking defeated.

Well, the scene was funny, but I quickly got interested in this dish itself.

I did a little research and decided to try making some.

They turned out great.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the batter made of pureed mung beans, but they were delicious!!

I mostly followed https://www.koreanbapsang.com/nokdujeon-savory-mung-bean-pancakes/ ‘s recipe.

I used sautéed king mushrooms in place of pork.

I will definitely make them again.

I’ve been trying to perfect my vegan pot stickers for a while.

For the filling, I’ve tried different things, like various veggies, mushrooms, and tofu…

I think this one may be the best I’ve ever made.

One new thing I tried this time was clear noodle.

I got the idea from a ramen shop in Kyoto where we had the best pot stickers.

I’ve never thought about putting noodles in pot stickers, but it works!

Another thing I added to my filling this time was this.

I found it at the local Asian market, and the label said “garlic flower.”

I believe it’s garlic chive; well it certainly tasted like one.

Filling: salted cabbage (excess liquid removed), onion (microwaved), clear noodles (cooked), garlic (grated), ginger (grated), garlic chive, soy sauce, corn starch

The wrappers I got from the Asian market were so thick!

The thickest I’ve ever seen.

Put them on the griddle like soldiers.

Perfectly browned.

I was not sure about the thick wrappers, but they turned out great.

We really liked the nice chewy texture.

This is something you will often find at a small bar served as a snack in Japan.

But for someone like me, non-drinker, it is a great afternoon snack.

Chinese chives are not easy to find in the Midwest, but luckily at the local farmers market there is one vendor who does sell them regularly.

I packed these pancakes with lots of Chinese chives as well as fried onion to give an extra flavor.

The pancake itself is slightly chewy and very satisfying.

These are delicious as they are, but you can also enjoy them with garlic chili dipping sauce.