Street food · Korean home cooking

Bungeoppang — Korean fish-shaped red bean cakes

Name: Bungeoppang — Korean fish-shaped red bean cakes
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: All-purpose flour — 1 paper cup (about 125 g); Sugar — 1 tablespoon; Baking powder — 1 teaspoon; Salt — 1 small pinch; Water — 1 paper cup (180 ml); Neutral oil — 1 tablespoon, plus a little for the pan; Sweet red bean paste — 1/2 paper cup; Vanilla extract — 1/2 teaspoon

A crisp, golden shell gives way to warm sweet red bean filling in this beloved Korean winter street snack. A waffle iron works when you do not have a fish-shaped pan.

35 min4 servings6 stepsDifficulty: Easy

Bungeoppang — Korean fish-shaped red bean cakes

AI-generated cooking illustrations. Follow the written quantities and instructions.

01 / Before you start

Ingredients

4 servings

Everyday kitchen measurements

For 4 servings. Use a small 180 ml paper cup, a level eating spoon (about 15 ml) and a small teaspoon (about 5 ml).

How to fill the cup and spoons

Use the same cup and spoons throughout. Their sizes vary, so these amounts are approximate. Spoon flour in loosely and level the top without pressing. Measure vegetables after chopping, without packing them down. The amounts in g/ml are the original reference quantities. For part of a pack, use the specified pack weight and divide the contents evenly.

King Arthur Baking

Essential, optional and substitute ingredients

Keep essential ingredients. For a replacement, use its listed amount and cooking changes instead of that ingredient’s original amount. Skip optional ingredients and their preparation if omitted. Photos show the original recipe.

All-purpose flour — 1 paper cup (about 125 g)
Essential
Use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend if needed; texture may be softer.
Sugar — 1 tablespoon
Essential
Use brown or white sugar.
Baking powder — 1 teaspoon
Essential
Do not omit; it helps the batter puff.
Salt — 1 small pinch
Optional
Omit if using salted butter for greasing.
Water — 1 paper cup (180 ml)
Essential
Use milk for a richer, softer shell.
Neutral oil — 1 tablespoon, plus a little for the pan
Essential
Use melted butter for a richer flavor.
Sweet red bean paste — 1/2 paper cup
Essential
Use canned sweet azuki beans, mashed. Chocolate spread is an easy alternative filling.
Vanilla extract — 1/2 teaspoon
Optional
Omit if unavailable.

Tap each ingredient as you prepare it. Check product labels for egg, soy, sesame, wheat, fish or shellfish where relevant.

02 / You’re ready to cook

Step-by-step cooking

Step 1

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add water and oil, then whisk just until smooth; do not overmix.
Step 2

Rest the batter for 10 minutes while the fish pan or waffle iron heats. Brush both cooking surfaces lightly with oil.
Step 3

Pour batter into each mold until about one-third full. Keep the layer thin near the edges so the top and bottom can seal.
Step 4

Add 1 tablespoon red bean paste in the center of each mold, keeping it away from the edges. Cover with batter until the filling is hidden.
Step 5

Close the pan and cook over low to medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the pan over and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until golden.
Step 6

Open carefully and cook another 30 seconds if the shell needs more crispness. Cool briefly before biting; the filling is very hot.

03 / Enjoy your meal

Finished dish

Helpful tips

A paper cup is 180 ml; a level tablespoon is 15 ml and a teaspoon is 5 ml. Keep the heat moderate so the batter cooks through before the outside darkens. No fish-shaped pan? Use a waffle iron or make small filled pancake pockets in a covered skillet. Contains wheat.