Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
Local name: 떡볶이
In short: Chewy cylinder rice cakes simmered in a glossy, sweet-hot gochujang sauce with fish cakes, scallions and boiled eggs, the classic Korean street snack. It takes about 35 min in total and makes 3 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Tteokbokki is one of Korea's most popular street snacks, sold from carts and shops and cooked at home whenever someone wants something fast and comforting. Chewy rice cakes simmer in anchovy broth until the sauce turns thick, sweet and fiery with gochujang and chili flakes. Fish cakes and boiled eggs soak up the sauce along the way. Eat it hot with a toothpick, or add instant noodles for a bigger meal.
Instructions
- If the rice cakes are frozen or stiff, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes and drain. Soft fresh ones only need a quick rinse.
- Stir the stock, gochujang, chili flakes, soy sauce, sugar and garlic together in a wide pan until the gochujang dissolves. Bring to a boil.
- Add the rice cakes and boil gently over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring often so they do not stick to the pan, until they soften.
- Add the fish cakes and eggs and simmer for 5 minutes more, until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the scallions and cook for 1 minute. Taste and add a pinch of sugar if it is too hot, or a splash of water if it is too thick.
- Serve straight away, sprinkled with sesame seeds. The rice cakes firm up as they cool.
Tips
- For rabokki, add a block of instant noodles and 150 ml (2/3 cup) extra stock in the last 4 minutes.
- Do not skip soaking hard or frozen rice cakes, or the centers stay chalky. Find them in the refrigerated or frozen section of Asian grocery stores.
Questions and answers
How spicy is tteokbokki?
Medium. Use 1 tablespoon less gochujang and skip the chili flakes for a mild version that suits children, or add more flakes for real heat.
Why did my rice cakes get hard?
Rice cakes stiffen as they cool. Reheat leftovers in a pan with a splash of water, or microwave them covered, until soft and chewy again.
Can I make tteokbokki ahead?
Make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Cook the rice cakes fresh in the sauce, because they turn gummy when stored.
How long does it take to make Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)?
About 35 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)?
About 460 kcal per serving, with 16 g of protein, 85 g of carbohydrates and 7 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 460 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 85 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 14 g |
| Sodium | 1150 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
