Mung bean pancakes (nok-doo jeom or nokdu jeon)

Ingredients

• 2 cups mung beans (see Note) 
• 1 cup pork mince 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed 
• ½ tsp white sugar 
• 375 ml (1½ cups) water 
• vegetable oil, for cooking 
• 1 cup chopped kimchi (see Note) 
• 1 cup sliced spring onions 
• 3 long red chillies, thinly sliced 

Dipping sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp white vinegar 
• 2 tsp caster sugar

You will need to begin this recipe 12 hours ahead.

Soaking time: 6 hours

Instructions

Rinse mung beans under running water. Place in a bowl and cover well with water. Soak for at least half a day or overnight, until plump. (If mung beans have skins, rub hard and rinse under water to remove skins. Repeat until beans are yellow and peeled.) Drain mung beans and discard soaking water.

Heat a wok over a medium-high heat. Add pork mince, soy sauce, garlic and sugar and dry-fry, stirring, for 2–3 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Place mung beans and the water in a blender and blend to make a smooth batter.

To make dipping sauce, combine all ingredients.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Pour in a little of the batter to make an 8cm pancake. Working quickly, add a little pork, kimchi, spring onion and chilli. Cook until pancake is light golden, then turn and cook on other side.

Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Note

•You can remove the mung bean skins yourself, but it is preferable to buy beans that have already had the skins removed.

•Kimchi is available at Asian grocers.