Hotteok: Chewy Korean Pancakes with Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Peanuts

Mix the dough. Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm milk in the large bowl. Add both flours, the cornflour and salt and beat with the wooden spoon for 2-3 min into a very sticky, stretchy dough. The rice flour gives the chewy texture.

Let it rise twice. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1.5-2 h until doubled. Beat it down with the spoon, cover again and leave for about 1 h more until puffy.

Mix the filling. Combine the dark brown sugar, chopped peanuts, cinnamon and salt in the small bowl.

Fill and seal. With oiled or floured hands, divide the dough into 10 pieces. Flatten one in your palm into a cupped 10 cm round, spoon in 2 packed tablespoons of filling, then pull the edges up and pinch them tightly together. Set seam side down on a floured surface and repeat. A firm seal keeps the melting sugar inside.

Press and fry. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 or 3 balls seam side down and flatten each straight away with the spatula to about 10 cm across. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 min until crisp and golden, then flip and cook 3-4 min more until springy to the touch.

Fry the rest. Wipe the pan clean and add fresh oil for each batch. Let the pancakes rest for a few minutes before eating, as the filling is very hot.