Gamja-jeon Recipe (Flourless Korean Potato Pancakes)

About This Dish

These gamja-jeon (also written gamjajeon) serve two and take about 45 minutes, including 10 minutes for the starch to settle. Grated potato and onion are lightly pressed to remove some liquid, then mixed with the settled starch so the pancakes hold together without flour. The key is to keep the batter thin and to turn each pancake only after the bottom is golden.

The National Folk Museum of Korea’s encyclopedia describes gamja-jeon as a representative local dish of Gangwon-do, a province in the northeast of South Korea. According to the same encyclopedia, written records of potato pancakes appear from the 1960s onward.

Some cooks serve the pancakes with choganjang, soy sauce mixed with vinegar, for dipping. For a Korean soup that also uses potatoes, see gamjatang (pork bone soup).

Ingredients

#	Ingredients	Qty	Remarks
01	Potatoes, medium	About 3 ea (about 500 g / 17.6 oz peeled)	Use firm potatoes with no sprouts or green patches
02	Onion	1/4 ea
03	Salt	About 1/2 tsp
04	Cooking oil	About 3 tbsp	About 1 tbsp for each batch

Equipment

Box grater
Fine-mesh strainer
2 bowls
Spoon
Frying pan, about 26 cm (10 1/4 in)
Spatula

Instructions

Wash the potatoes. Peel them.
Potatoes, medium About 3 ea (about 500 g / 17.6 oz peeled)
Grate the onion into a bowl.
Onion 1/4 ea
Grate the potatoes into the same bowl. Mix them with the onion immediately.
NOTE
Grated potato darkens in air. Onion helps keep the potato color light if you mix them immediately.
Put the strainer over a second bowl. Pour in the potato mixture. Press it lightly with a spoon. Keep the liquid in the bowl.
Let the liquid stand for about 10 minutes, until a white layer of starch settles at the bottom. Carefully pour off the liquid on top.
Put the potato mixture in the bowl with the starch. Add the salt. Mix well.
Salt About 1/2 tsp
Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan over medium heat.
Cooking oil About 1 tbsp
Spread the batter into rounds about 10 cm (about 4 in) wide and 0.5 cm (about 1/4 in) thick. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the bottom is golden.
Turn the pancakes over. Cook for about 3 minutes more, until both sides are golden and crisp. Cook the remaining batter the same way with more oil.
Cooking oil About 2 tbsp
NOTE
Divide leftovers among shallow containers. Refrigerate them within 2 hours after cooking. If the room is at least 32°C (90°F), refrigerate them within 1 hour. Keep them at 4°C (40°F) or below. Use them within 3–4 days. Reheat until they reach 74°C (165°F) throughout.

Doneness Check

Both sides are golden brown and the edges are crisp
The center is translucent and cooked through, with no raw potato taste
The pancake holds together when you lift it with a spatula

Variations

Gamjachae-jeon (shredded potato pancake): In the recipe checked for this entry, the potato stays ungrated, in shreds, and leaves the work of sticking together to its surface starch and buchimgaru (Korean pancake mix).
Gamja-jangjeon (paste-seasoned potato pancake): The encyclopedia describes a Gyeongsang-do form that mixes flour, doenjang (Korean soybean paste), gochujang (Korean chili paste) and green chili into the grated potato.
Gamja-jeon with flour: Flour is added to the grated potato to thicken the batter, and the settled starch is not collected.

Similar Dishes

Latke: The comparison source describes latkes as usually bound with egg and flour, while this gamja-jeon uses starch settled from the potato liquid.
Rösti: The rösti compared here uses long potato shreds and butter, with no step to collect settled starch.

FAQ

Why are my potato pancakes mushy?

The batter may hold too much liquid, or the pancakes may be too thick. Press out the liquid, return only the settled starch, and spread the batter thinly. Wait until the bottom is golden before you turn it.

Can I shred the potatoes instead of grating them?

Yes, but the method changes. For shredded pancakes, you press thin potato shreds together in the pan. This entry grates the potatoes and adds back the settled starch.

How do I store leftover gamja-jeon?

Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours after cooking (1 hour if the room is 32°C (90°F) or hotter), at 4°C (40°F) or below. Eat them within 3–4 days. Reheat until they reach 74°C (165°F) throughout.

Which potatoes should I buy?

One recipe recommends starchy potatoes such as russets. It says waxy potatoes need more flour and may turn out less crisp. This entry does not use flour, so starchy potatoes are the easier choice.