HOTTOEK 호떡 - Pancakes filled with sugar syrup and nuts. A vegan-friendly Korean street food

I remembered this is one of the best street food I have tried in Korea and am so thrilled to find out that it's vegan! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
DOUGH
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water (not too hot it will kill the yeast!)
- 2 tsp yeast
- 2 tsp cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt

FILLING
- 1/2 cup organic brown sugar
- 1 tsp @organicule cinnamon powder
- 2 tbsp @organicule pumpkin seeds, chopped roughly

Oil for frying

Steps:
In a bowl, add water, yeast, sugar and salt, stir well. Add flour and combine into a wet sticky dough using a spatula. Cover and let it sit in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

After a hour, the dough should be risen to x3 - x4 in size. Stir the dough to deflate it then cover and let it rise for another 10 minutes.

Prepare the filling by combining all the ingredients in a bowl.

On your working surface, sprinkle 3-4 handful of flour, transfer the dough to the floured surface. Knead roughly to combine, add more flour if needed because the dough is really sticky at this point.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portion. Take one portion, flatten it and place it on your palm then scoop 1 tbsp of filling into the centre. Using another hand, stretch and gather edges of the dough over the filling and pinch tightly to seal. Repeat for the rest of the dough.

In a pan, heat up 1/4 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil over medium heat. Lay the bun-sealed side on the pan. Press the bun with frying spatula to flatten it and fry got 1 minute or so until browned. Flip and fry for another 1 minute or so. Repeat until both sides are only browned and flaky.

Once done, transfer them from the pan to a plate lined with kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve immediately while hot, because they tasted the best when they hot and fluffy and the sugar is melted inside.