Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki are springy Korean rice cakes in a thick sweet-spicy sauce. Here, eomuk fish cakes and cabbage make the dish more substantial, while the sauce reduces to coat the rice cakes.
Additional 10 min — resting and preparation
How to make it
Prepared 0 of 6 steps
Prepare the rice cakes
Soak cold, firm tteok in a separate bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and drain. Soft, fresh pieces can be rinsed instead. Do not substitute with dried rice crackers: they are a different product.
Prepare the add-ins
Cut the eomuk fish cakes into strips, the cabbage into small squares and the spring onions into lengths about 4 cm long. Mince the garlic. Use a wide deep frying pan so the sauce can reduce evenly.
Dissolve the spicy sauce
In a pan, combine 700 ml water, kochujang paste, gochugaru pepper flakes, sugar, light soy sauce and garlic. Bring to a gentle boil and stir until the paste is evenly distributed without lumps.
Start cooking the tteok
Place the rice cakes in the boiling sauce and cook for 8–10 minutes, gently stirring from the bottom. The cakes should gradually soften inside. If they start sticking, reduce heat and stir more frequently.
Add the cabbage and fish cakes
Stir in the cabbage and fish cakes and cook for another 5–7 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the fish cakes are hot throughout. Check a rice cake: there should be no hard, cold centre.
Finish reducing the sauce
Stir in the green onion and cook for another 2 minutes. The sauce should be thickly coating the cakes but still runny. Remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve immediately: as it cools, the rice cakes become firmer.
Little hint
The rice cakes vary greatly in thickness and initial softness, so check one of the largest. If the sauce has thickened but the center is still hard, add a little hot water and continue cooking.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch out for when cooking?
The rice cakes vary greatly in thickness and initial softness, so check one of the largest. If the sauce has thickened but the center is still hard, add a little hot water and continue cooking.
How should I prepare the ingredients?
Soak cold, firm tteok in a separate bowl of warm water for 10 minutes and drain. Soft, fresh pieces can be rinsed instead. Do not substitute with dried rice crackers: they are a different product.
