Tteokbokki 떡볶이 Recipe: Spicy Korean Rice Cake Sticks

Recipe by Bini Sudo
Owner & head kimchi teacher at Kimchi Club W5, cookery school dedicated entirely to Korean cuisine, specialising in kimchi workshops
Instagram: @kimchi_club_w5

Serves: 4 portions
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients

Rice cake sticks and toppings

• Tteokbokki tteok (Rice cake sticks): 500g, fresh preferred, if unavailable, frozen
• Eomuk (Korean fish cake) sheets 2-3
• Spring onion: 3-4 stalks
• Cabbage: 150g
• Boiled eggs (optional)
• Garlic (optional - some people prefer with, some without)

Sauce

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp ganjang (Korean soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes): 
• 500ml water
• 1.5 tbsp sugar 
• 1 tbsp rice malt, or corn syrup 
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 1 tsp Korean stock powder 

Steps

1. If using frozen tteok, thaw by soaking in water whilst prepping other ingredients
   
   
2. Slice spring onions in half lengthwise then cut into 5cm long batons.
   Cut eomuk sheets into small strips or triangles.
   
   
3. Add water and all the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan.
   Mix everything well and bring to a boil on medium heat.
   
   
4. Once boiling, add the tteok and simmer for 5 minutes until soft.
   
   
5. Add the eomuk, spring onions, and cabbage to the saucepan and simmer further for 3-5 minutes.

Added by Jungdam:

Experiment and find your taste.
Many Koreans like to add sausages, or spam, as toppings.
Or ramen noodles (rabokki 라볶이), or dangmyeon (glass noodles).
Or more recently, cheese or cream to the sauce.

Koreans love to dip twigim, or mandu, or sundae, or gimbap in tteokbokki sauce, as they are often sold together in bunsik eateries.
Don't let it go to waste.