Spicy Korean Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki is a beloved Korean street food featuring chewy rice cakes simmered in a rich, sweet, and spicy gochujang-based sauce, often with fish cakes and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 500 g Korean rice cakes (tteokbokki-tteok) fresh or frozen
- 4 cups chicken or beef broth or water with anchovy packets
- 3 tbsp Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
- 1 tbsp Korean chili powder (Gochugaru) optional
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar or corn syrup
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 100 g fish cakes (eomuk) sliced
- 0.5 medium onion sliced
- 2 stalks green onions chopped
- 0.5 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- If using frozen rice cakes, soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften; drain well. For fresh rice cakes, no soaking is needed.
- In a large pot or deep pan, combine the broth, gochujang, gochugaru (if using), soy sauce, sugar, and minced garlic. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the gochujang is fully dissolved.
- Add the softened rice cakes, sliced onion, and fish cakes to the pot. Stir gently to ensure everything is coated in the flavorful sauce.
- Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice cakes are tender and chewy, and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency. The sauce should cling to the rice cakes.
- Stir in half of the chopped green onions and the sesame oil during the last minute of cooking.
- Serve your Spicy Korean Tteokbokki immediately, garnished with the remaining green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy the irresistible chewy texture and spicy-sweet sauce!
Notes
Adjust the amount of gochujang and gochugaru to suit your preferred spice level. For a heartier meal, consider adding ramen noodles (rabokki) or a hard-boiled egg. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and extra chopped green onions for a vibrant finish.