[Korean Food] Tteokbokki Recipe

Tteokbokki is the most popular Korean street food made with chewy rice cakes in a spicy sauce. It is often served as a snack or a light meal. The dish can be customized with additional ingredients, such as fish cakes, vegetables, and boiled eggs.

Tteokbokki

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cylindrical rice cakes (tteok)
• 4 cups water
• 4-5 dried anchovies
• 1 piece of dried kelp (6x6 inch)
• 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2-3 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup fish cake (optional)
• 1 hard-boiled egg (optional)
• Sesame seeds, for garnish
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, bring the water, dried anchovies, and dried kelp to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes to make the broth. Discard the anchovies and kelp.
2. Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, and sugar to the broth. Stir well to combine and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the rice cakes to the pot and stir gently to coat them with the sauce. Add the fish cake if using. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the rice cakes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
4. Add the green onions and hard-boiled egg if using. Simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Transfer the tteokbokki to a serving dish and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Note: If you prefer a milder tteokbokki, reduce the amount of gochujang and gochugaru. You can also add other ingredients to your tteokbokki, such as sliced carrots or cabbage.

Tteokbokki can have variations in its sauce depending on the recipe or personal preference. While the traditional sauce is usually made with gochujang (Korean chili paste) and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), some recipes may use tomato sauce or soy sauce as a base. Some variations may also include sweeteners like honey or brown sugar to balance the spiciness of the dish. Additionally, some regions in Korea may have their own unique variations of tteokbokki sauce.