Potato Pancakes with Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce

This is an appetizer that you can put together with basic pantry ingredients.  A little potato, onion, and egg come together to make perfectly golden crispy rounds that are brought to life with this Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce.  The sauce is salty, garlicky, spicy, and has great texture with the sesame seeds.  This is a unique way of serving potato pancakes and they were a big hit in my home.

 Potato Pancakes with Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce

Adapted from Step-by-Step Cooking

by Madhur Jaffrey

Makes 8 small pancakes

Serves 2-4

8 ounces russet potato

1/2 small onion, minced

1 egg

1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 or 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

In a medium bowl, add minced onion, egg, cornstarch, and salt.  Mix to combine. 

Grate the potato, or potatoes, and immediately add the potato to the above mixture. (You do not need to drain or squeeze the water out of the potato).  Mix the potato and cornstarch mixture until everything is combined.

In a cast iron skillet, or large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, drop the batter by rounded tablespoons into the frying pan.  Spread the batter out with the back of a spoon until the pancake is about 3 inches in diameter.  You should be able to cook 4 pancakes at a time.  Cook each pancake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until reddish brown.  Flip and cook on the second side for 2 to 3 minutes.  Serve hot with Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce.

Spicy Korean Dipping Sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 scallion, cut into very thin rounds

1 small sliced chile, sliced thin

4 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably Japenese shoyu)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a small bowl, mix all the above ingredients and allow to sit for up to 30 minutes so the flavors have time to blend.

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