Name: Tteokbokki
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 300 g Korean Rice Cakes, separated if stuck together; 120 g Korean Fish Cake, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 tbsp Gochujang, for sauce; 1 tsp Gochugaru, for heat and color; 1 tbsp Soy Sauce, for seasoning; 1 tbsp Sugar, for sauce balance; 1 clove Garlic, finely minced; ¼ cup Spring Onion Greens, sliced; 2 cup Water, for simmering; 1 tsp Sesame Seeds, lightly toasted; 1 tsp Sesame Oil, for finishing

30 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Spicy

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Method

If the Korean rice cakes feel very firm from refrigeration, soak them briefly in warm water while preparing the sauce ingredients, then drain.
In a wide pan, combine the measured water, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic until mostly smooth.
Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring so the gochujang dissolves evenly.
Add the Korean rice cakes and simmer, stirring often, until they become soft and chewy and the sauce begins to thicken.
Add the Korean fish cake and continue simmering until heated through and coated with sauce.
Stir in the spring onion greens and sesame oil, then cook briefly until the sauce clings to the rice cakes.
Finish with sesame seeds and serve hot while the rice cakes are still soft.

How to tell it's done

The rice cakes should be soft, bouncy, and coated in a glossy sauce that is thick but still spoonable.

Getting it right

Tip

Stir often after adding the rice cakes because the sauce thickens quickly and can catch on the bottom of the pan.

What to serve it with

Serve as a hot snack or light meal with cucumber sticks or simple pickled vegetables.

Substitutions

Use extra Korean Rice Cakes and omit Korean Fish Cake for a fish-free version, though the broth will taste less savory.
Reduce the gochugaru for a milder sauce while keeping gochujang for the core flavor.
Packaged gochujang, rice cakes, and fish cake may contain wheat, soy, egg, fish, or shellfish depending on the brand, so label checking is required.

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Ingredients