Get all of that Korean cuisine goodness without the mess.

From its music to its food, Korean culture is rising in popularity around the world, and Japan is no exception. Korean restaurants abound in Tokyo, and there are even gadgets being sold to the masses to make your favorite dishes and snacks at home.

So when our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun visited his local Don Quijote discount store, he was immediately intrigued by a Jijimi Korean Pancake in a Cup Set (or “chijimi,” as it’s called locally in Japan) from Nisshin Flour Milling.

▼ And they were a pretty decent price, too, at 158 yen (US$1.45) per cup.

It didn’t take much convincing for P.K. to decide to buy one and try it at home. Reading the label, he found that he also needed nira (garlic chives), an onion, an egg, and some mixed seafood to make Nissin’s recommended recipe.

▼ Inside the cup was the jijimi batter mix, some sauce to put on top, and roasted sesame seeds.

First off, he poured the batter mix into the Styrofoam cup it came in. The bag it comes in also acts as a measuring device for the water, so that means even fewer dishes for you to clean up!

▼ Here’s what it looks like with the water mixed in.

▼ You need to add water up to the orange lines that the arrows point to.

Next, he added in the egg and mixed it around a little.

▼ Is it starting to look like jijimi yet?

Then, it was time to add the nira, onion, and seafood. The seafood part isn’t necessary, but P.K. wanted to follow Nissin’s recipe exactly. Alternatives like kimchi would be just as delicious!

▼ Much like okonomiyaki, it will look more like all the ingredients are lightly coated in batter instead of swimming in it.

After putting some oil in a frying pan, he got to work actually frying the thing.

▼ This is the first piece of kitchen equipment he used besides the mixing spoon, by the way.

He flipped it over when it was nice and brown on one side, then sautéed the other side with sesame oil to bring out the wonderful scent of all the ingredients.

▼ And it’s done!

P.K. said the whole process only took him about 10 minutes between cutting the vegetables, mixing the batter, and frying it up. If you’re short on time or dishes (or willpower to wash dishes – no judgment), he thinks this would be a great option.

▼ He combined the included sauce with the roasted sesame for dipping.

Though he was skeptical that it would be good considering it was essentially a bargain food, P.K. discovered that it was delicious! It may not have been professional chef-level, but for home cooking, this tasted great.

▼ And he savored every last morsel.

So if you’re searching the aisles for something quick, easy, and delicious, check your supermarket to see if they have this in stock, and maybe check for Nisshin’s cup okonomiyaki kit too while you’re there.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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