Bindaetteok (Korean Mung Bean Pancakes)

Bindaetteok (Korean Mung Bean Pancakes)! Bindaetteok, also known as Nokdu Bindaetteok or Nokdujeon, is a popular street food in Korea. These Korean-style savory pancakes are made with ground mung beans adding vegetables and meat. They’re super easy to make, so tasty, hearty, healthy and filling. Perfect as an appetizer, snack, or light meal.

Bindaetteok
(Korean Mung Bean Pancakes)

Bring a Touch of South Korea to Your Kitchen! I’ll show you how to make ‘Bindaetteok’ an easy way at home from scratch. Here you’ll find an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step pictures, helpful info plus top tips. I hope you will try the recipe and enjoy ‘Bindaetteok’ as much as I do!!

What is Bindaetteok?

Bindaetteok, also called Nokdu Bindaetteok or Nokdujeon, is commonly served on New Year’s Day in South Korea or on special occasions. Nowadays, it is also a very popular street food in South Korea and some people like to enjoy them on rainy or snowy days because the sound of frying the pancake in oil sounds like that of raindrops.

Nokdu is the Korean name for the mung bean.

It is said that, originally, Bindaetteok was made to serve roasted or fried meat at the ceremonies or the dining table. The meat on the top was for the host of the house, and the Bindaetteok on the bottom layer was for the poor and servants.

So, in the past, it was called “binja-tteok,” or a pancake for poor people, as binja means the poor. Thanks to its taste, this humble food gradually became a popular menu item and now it’s called bindae-tteok and bindae means distinguished guests.

More Savory Pancakes to Try

How Do You Make Bindaetteok?

Bindaetteok is made with ground mung beans (see more about mung beans below) combined with vegetables, meat, and some seasonings to make a batter that is pan-fried into a round, thick pancake.

You can make a gluten-free, vegetarian, or non-vegetarian version according to your needs and taste preferences. Skip adding minced meat for a vegetarian version or make a non-vegetarian version by adding beaten eggs, and/or minced meat of your choice to make extra flavorful versions.

Adding bean sprouts is very common though I didn’t use them. You can add either fresh or blanched sprouts. To blanch the bean sprouts, cook them in boiling water for about 2 minutes and then rinse in cold water. Drain and gently squeeze out excess water before using.

The batter

First, you need to soak the dried mung beans in water for a few hours and then grind them into a batter. Traditionally, the soaked mung beans are ground using a stone mill, however, nowadays, most people use an electric blender. A creamy but slightly coarse batter is preferable.

Some recipes call for glutinous rice but adding rice is optional. If you use rice (a few tablespoons of rice as you like) make sure to soak and grind them with beans. You can also use white rice instead of glutinous rice if it is not available.

Additional Ingredients

Typical additions to the batter include ground pork, bean sprouts, fern brakes, scallions, and kimchi for additional flavor and texture. However, you can also add other vegetables like fresh chilies, onions, carrots, etc.

You can an egg to the batter if you like it that way. For seasoning, you can use salt, pepper, minced ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.

Cooking

Traditionally, Bindaetteok is deep-fried in a generous amount of oil (or beef fat) that creates flavorful pancakes with a soft interior with some added crunch from the vegetables and a super crispy exterior. However, you can pan-fry them with much less oil to make a healthier version.

Mung Bean (Green Gram) VS.
Mung Dal (Yellow Split Mung Bean)

Bindaetteok is commonly made with yellow split mung beans (geopi–nokdu in Korean) though I have also seen some recipes also call for mung beans (nokdu). For convenience, I use split mung beans without skin (yellow split mung beans), so soaking and preparing is fairly simple. The quality of mung beans makes a big difference in the taste of the pancakes, so be sure to buy quality beans.

Mung Bean (Green Gram)

Mung Beans, also known as Moong Beans or Green Gram, is green in color and used as an ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes. Bean sprouts are also common in many Asian dishes. Importantly, they’re highly nutritional (rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals) and provide many health benefits.

Mung Dal (Yellow Split Mung Bean)

Mung Dal, also known as yellow split mung bean or yellow lentils, is the split version of whole mung beans and is light yellow.

Serving Suggestion

You can serve these delicious pancakes as an appetizer, snack, side dish, or even as a complete meal. If you want to try some savory pancakes for your breakfast instead of sweet pancakes coated with maple syrup, this is the one.  

You can serve them at room temperature but they taste so much better when they are served warm. Serve them just plain, they are wonderful eaten just as they are or with a dipping sauce, ketchup, chili sauce, or sauce of your choice.

Dipping Sauce

In South Korea, savory pancakes are often served with slightly sweet, tangy, and spicy dipping sauces made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a variety of other ingredients like sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, chives, spring onions, ginger, garlic, and chilies. I love to add gochujang (red pepper paste) to my dipping sauce to add a more savory flavor.

You can make the sauce ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week; bring it to room temperature before serving.

Storing Suggestion

These pancakes will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. They also freeze well.

You can make the pancakes in big batches and keep the leftovers in the freezer, wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and then putting the wrapped pancakes into a zipper-lock bag.

Simply defrost them at room temperature, and then reheat them in a pan over low heat with some oil or in the microwave. Perfect as a quick meal.

More Lentil Recipes to Try

Bindaetteok (Korean Mung Bean Pancakes) Step-by-Step Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Soaking time: 4 to 6 hours
Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the Pancakes
200 g thin skin mung bean
100 g water
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
100 g of minced pork
1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
50 g of cabbage kimchi, cut into pieces
2 fresh red chili peppers, sliced
5 spring onions, cut into pieces
50 g Enoki Mushroom, cut into pieces
1/2 onion, sliced
100 ml water, or as needed
Cooking oil, for cooking

For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp gochujang or chili powder
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp chopped chives or spring onions

Note: You can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of raw rice to the beans if you like a crispier version. Feel free to add the meat and vegetables of your choice.

Instructions

I used Yellow Split Mung Bean (Mung Dal).

Rinse and soak the mung beans in water for about 4 to 6 hours. Drain. If you use rice, soak them with beans.

In a blender, grind the soaked beans with minimum water until it’s creamy or has a coarse, sandlike consistency, according to your preference. Transfer to a large bowl.

These are the ingredients I used in this recipe. Mung bean batter, minced pork, kimchi, spring onions, onions, enoki mushroom, fresh red chilies, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and sesame oil.

I love to add some kimchi (store-bought) to my Korean pancakes.

Mix the minced meat with ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.

Add the salt, pepper, and sesame seeds to the mung bean batter and mix well. Next, add the meat mixture, and vegetables and gently mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Add some water as needed to make the batter a bit pourable, if needed.

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Spoon the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly with the back of the spoon to make a thin round pancake. Cook until the bottom turns light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Turn it over, press it down with a spatula, and cook for another 2- 3 minutes. Add more oil around the edges to make crisp pancakes, if you like it that way. Transfer the pancake to a plate. Repeat the process with the rest of the mixture.

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl to make the dipping sauce. Set aside.

Serve hot off the pan with the dipping sauce on the side.

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