Tteokbokki - Sweet & Spicy Rice Cakes
Tteokbokki, a popular Korean snack, are rice cakes in a spicy-sweet sauce found at street markets, fast food kiosks and baseball games!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound tteokbokki tteok 떡볶이 떡 about 24 3-inch long rice cake pieces - See note.
- 1 sheet eomuk 어묵 fish cake - aka oden or SPAM! or Japanese fishcake
- 4 ounces green cabbage yangbaechu 양배추
- 1 - 2 scallions optional
- 3 cups anchovy broth or water or any fish broth/dashi
- 3 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper paste gochujang 고추장
- 1-2 teaspoons Korean red chili pepper flakes gochugaru 고추가루 preferably finely ground)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar or use 1 tablespoon if you like it less sweet
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Make fish broth if using. Soak the rice cakes for about 20 minutes if hardened or refrigerated. Cut the fish cake, cabbage, and scallions into about 2-inch long pieces.
- Add the anchovy broth (or water) to a large pan. Stir in the sauce ingredients. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the red chili pepper paste (gochujang).
- Add rice cakes, boil until the rice cakes become very soft and the sauce is thickened, about 8 - 10 minutes. Stir frequently so the rice cakes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add cabbage, green onions (optional) and fish cakes. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for an additional 4 - 6 minutes. Depending on your rice cakes, it may need more time to reach a desired level of softness. Add more broth or water as necessary. Taste the sauce, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
You can find tteokbokki rice cakes fresh, refrigerated, or frozen at Korean markets. Locally made fresh rice cakes are the best ones to use, but good quality refrigerated ones are okay too. Try avoiding frozen ones if you have other options.
Tteokbokki doesn't reheat well in the microwave. Reheat any leftovers, along with a little bit of broth or water, in a small pan over low heat.
Don't have eomuk use the Japanese fish cakes-kamaboko or even surimi (imitation crab legs).