Korean Crispy Flat Mandu (Daegu-Style Thin Pan-Fried Dumplings)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Boiled sweet potato noodles, minced chives, and chopped cabbage are spread thinly inside dumpling wrappers, folded in half, and pan-fried flat until both sides are evenly crisp, in the style of Daegu street food.
Read more
Using minimal filling is key to achieving the characteristic thin, flat shape that defines this dumpling, and a properly preheated pan ensures uniform crispness on both sides. The standard accompaniment is a tangy-spicy dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil. Simple in construction but sharp in flavor balance, this is the dumpling that put Daegu's street food culture on the map.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Boil 80 g sweet potato noodles until flexible, then rinse under cold water, drain well, and cut into 1 cm pieces.
Mince 60 g chives and 90 g cabbage finely so the filling spreads thinly.
- 2Season
Put the noodles and vegetables in a bowl, then mix with 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp soy sauce until evenly coated.
If the mixture feels wet, press out extra moisture so the wrappers do not tear.
- 3Step
Place less than a spoonful of filling on each of the 20 wrappers and spread it into a thin layer.
Fold in half, press the edges firmly, and flatten out trapped air for the proper flat shape.
- 4Control
Heat a pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add 2 tbsp cooking oil.
Arrange the dumplings without overlap and cook about 2 minutes, until the bottoms turn light golden and crisp.
- 5Heat
Turn them over and cook the second side for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
Remove them when the edges look dry and the surfaces feel crisp, lowering the heat to medium-low if they brown too fast.
- 6Finish
Mix the remaining soy sauce with 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp sesame oil for the dipping sauce.
Serve the flat dumplings while hot, before the crisp surface softens.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Napjak-mandu provides a thin, Daegu-style dumpling filled with glass noodles and pan-fried crisp.
- Finish cue
- Arrange the dumplings without overlap and cook about 2 minutes, until the bottoms turn light golden and crisp.
- Avoid this
- Do not overfill or you will lose the signature flat texture.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
40min, 9 ingredients
Category median
30min, 8 ingredients
Based on 162 recipes
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