Dubai Chocolate Hotteok (Flat Korean Stuffed Pancake)

Dubai chocolate has been going viral faster than you can say “kataifi crunch”—so naturally, I had to hotteok-ify it. These chewy, golden Korean pancakes are filled with that irresistible mix of gooey chocolate, pistachio nuttiness, and crispy kataifi pastry. One bite and you’ll see why this mashup of Seoul street food and Dubai decadence was simply meant to be.

Ingredients

Yields 10 Hotteoks

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus 3 hours’ rising

Filling Ingredients:

45g / 3⁄4 cup lightly packed thawed kataifi, roughly chopped into 1⁄2-inch pieces
100g (about 6 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) pistachio cream
7g (1⁄2 tablespoon) salted butter
30g (about 1/4 cup) roasted salted chopped pistachios
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
32g (about 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoons) semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (or milk chocolate)
Vegetable or neutral oil (about 1⁄2 cup)

Dough Ingredients:

1 1⁄2 cups (360 milliliters) whole milk
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 packet (7 grams) instant yeast
1 1⁄2 cups (225 grams) bread flour, plus more for dusting (see Tip)
1 cup (150 grams) sweet rice flour
1 1⁄2 Tbsp cornstarch
1⁄2 tsp coarse kosher salt
Vegetable oil, for greasing and frying

Method

First, make the dough.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat until it feels like a warm bath (about 105°F, do not go hotter as this will kill the yeast).
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and yeast. Let sit for 3–5 minutes, until bubbly.
In a large bowl, mix bread flour, sweet rice flour, cornstarch, and salt.
Slowly stir in the warm milk mixture to form a sticky dough. Lightly oil your hands and shape the dough into a ball. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 11⁄2 to 2 hours. Punch it down, cover again, and let rise a second time until doubled again, about 11⁄2 hours more.

Meanwhile, make the filling.

While the dough rises, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped kataifi and toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp (3–5 minutes). Transfer kataifi to a bowl and stir in the pistachio cream until well combined.
Cover with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

Next, assemble the Hotteoks.

After the second rise, lightly flour a clean surface. Turn the dough out, dust with more flour, and knead briefly. Shape it into a thick log.
Cut into 10 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball and place on the floured surface. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.
Working with 1–2 balls at a time, lightly oil your hands. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk.
Place 1 tablespoon of the kataifi pistachio filling in the center flattening it out a bit. Then add 2 teaspoons of chocolate chips on top. Add about 1 tsp of the chopped pistachios and wrap the dough around the filling and pinch to seal. Gently flatten into a 31⁄2 to 4-inch disk, making sure it’s even on both sides.

Cook the Hotteoks

Heat 1⁄2 inch of neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Cook a few pancakes at a time without crowding your pan. Place them in the skillet.
Cook each side for 3–4 minutes, flipping every 20–25 seconds, until golden brown and crisp.
Transfer to a wire rack or a paper towel–lined plate.
Allow to cool slightly and serve immediately. Enjoy! Feel free to make these a plated dessert and serve with vanilla ice cream, berries, and chocolate sauce.

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