Tteokbokki, or Korean spicy rice cakes, offer a delightful blend of chewy texture and bold flavors, combining sweet, spicy, and savory elements. This popular street food is a quick and easy one-pot dish that can be prepared in under 30 minutes.What is Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is a popular Korean street food known for its chewy texture and spicy, savory flavor.
It primarily features cylindrical rice cakes called "tteok" cooked in a rich gochujang-based sauce, which gives it a distinctive red color and heat.
Often enjoyed as a comfort food, tteokbokki is both satisfying and flavorful, making it a favorite among many Koreans and food enthusiasts worldwide.
It’s commonly garnished with sesame seeds and green onions, and can also include additions like fish cakes, boiled eggs, and vegetables, enhancing its taste and texture.
Key Ingredients
Korean Rice Cakes (Garae-tteok): Long cylinder-shaped rice cakes typically sold in vacuum-packed bags in the refrigerated or frozen section of Korean or Asian grocery stores.
Anchovy Stock Packet: Used to make anchovy stock, the base of the tteokbokki sauce. If unavailable, substitute with water or any other stock.
Gochujang (Korean Red Pepper Paste): A fermented red chili paste with umami, spice, and a hint of sweetness, essential for adding flavor and heat to the sauce.
Korean Red Pepper Powder (Gochugaru): Also known as gochugaru, it has an earthy, slightly sweet, and fruity flavor, providing a unique taste to Korean dishes. Substituting with other chili flakes is not recommended due to gochugaru's distinct flavor.
Optional Ingredients for Vegetarian or Vegan Tteokbokki:
- Omit fish cakes, anchovy stock, and eggs.
- Substitute anchovy stock with water or vegetable stock.
- Add vegetables such as cabbage and carrots to enhance flavor and texture.
Tteokbokki Spicy Korean Rice Cakes
TTEOKBOKKI, OR KOREAN SPICY RICE CAKES, OFFER A DELIGHTFUL BLEND OF CHEWY TEXTURE AND BOLD FLAVORS, COMBINING SWEET, SPICY, AND SAVORY ELEMENTS. THIS POPULAR STREET FOOD IS A QUICK AND EASY ONE-POT DISH THAT CAN BE PREPARED IN UNDER 30 MINUTES.
Main Ingredients:
Sauce:
- 3 cups water or anchovy stock
- 3 Tablespoons gochujang - (Korean red pepper paste)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes - (gochugaru)
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
Optional Ingredients:
- 2 large hard boiled eggs
- 1 cup vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions) - cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- Pre-cooked ramen noodles
- If using frozen rice cakes, make sure to rehydrate them by soaking for 2+ hours in cool water. If using refrigerated rice cakes, soak them in cool water while prepping the other ingredients.
- Heat up 3 cups of broth or water until boiling. Set aside.
- Add 2.2 lbs (1 kg) cylindrical rice cakes, 3 sheets of cut fish cakes, 2 cups Napa cabbage, 1 small onion, and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Then, add in the 3 cups of hot broth or water from the previous step, 1/3 cup of gochujang, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp white granulated sugar, and 1-3 tsp of gochugaru into the pan and turn the heat on to medium-high. Stir frequently to make sure the rice cakes are not sticking to the bottom.
- Boil until the rice cakes have softened through and the sauce has thickened (8-10 minutes). Then, add in 1 tbsp of sesame oil and 4 stalks of chopped green onions. Stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the green onions have wilted. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt or soy sauce, depending on your preference. May consider adding an extra 1 tbsp of soy sauce if water was used as the base, but taste first! Continue to simmer until sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
NUTRITION FACTS
Calories: 488kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Let me know how it was!
