What Korean pancake is made from ground mung beans?

The Korean pancake made from ground mung beans is bindaetteok. It is also written bindae-tteok and is known as nokdu-buchimgae or nokdu-jeon.

The batter is made by soaking and grinding husked mung beans with water and salt. Cooks commonly add mung bean sprouts, bracken, kimchi, scallions, and pork before pan-frying the mixture in oil. The result is thicker and more substantial than many flour-based Korean pancakes.

Bindaetteok is associated especially with Korea’s northwestern regions, including Pyeongan and Hwanghae. One early written reference appears in Eumsik dimibang, a cookbook compiled by Chang Gyehyang in 1670. During the Joseon era, the pancake was sometimes distributed to poor people near Seoul’s South Great Gate.

A common mix-up is calling every Korean savory pancake bindaetteok. Buchimgae and jeon are broad categories, while pajeon is a scallion pancake. Bindaetteok is distinguished by its mung-bean batter, usually without wheat flour or egg.