Korean Stir-Fried Rice Cakes with Vegetables and Egg Recipe
This quick dish made with ready-to-use rice cakes, vegetables, and egg fried in a pan is a bit like an Asian version of veggie stir-fry noodles. In Korea, meals like this are often made from leftover vegetables from the fridge and are a lifesaver on a busy evening. The rice cakes are soft and chewy, and the soy-sesame sauce coats everything in a gently salty flavor.
A flexible, weeknight-friendly Korean-style stir-fry that turns simple rice cakes and leftover vegetables into a comforting, chewy, and flavorful one-pan meal.
Chef's tips
Don’t overcook the rice cakes – they should be soft but still pleasantly chewy. If they start sticking to the pan, add a bit of water instead of more oil to keep the dish lighter and the sauce silky.
How to serve
Serve hot straight from the pan, topped with extra toasted sesame seeds and, if you like, sliced spring onions or a drizzle of chili oil. It also pairs nicely with kimchi or a light miso soup for a fuller meal.
Ingredients
- rice cakes - 300 g
- carrot - 1 piece
- bell pepper - 0.5 pieces
- onion - 0.5 pieces
- spinach - 2 handfuls
- egg - 2 pieces
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- sesame oil - 1 tablespoon
- oil - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 2 cloves
- sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon
Preparation
- If you’re using firm rice cakes from the fridge or freezer, cover them with hot water for 5–10 minutes until they soften, then drain. Fresh soft rice cakes only need to be rinsed with warm water.
- Peel the carrot and cut it into thin matchsticks. Wash the bell pepper, remove the core and seeds, and slice into strips. Peel the onion and slice into thin half-moons. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil until the sugar dissolves.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Crack in the eggs and gently stir with a spatula for 1–2 minutes until you get soft, lightly set scrambled egg pieces. Transfer the egg to a plate.
- In the same pan, add the second tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, carrot, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften but are still slightly crisp.
- Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the rice cakes to the pan and pour in the prepared sauce. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, gently stirring, until the rice cakes are heated through and coated with the sauce. If everything looks too dry, add 2–3 tablespoons of water.
- Add the spinach and stir-fry for another minute, until the leaves wilt. Finally, add the cooked egg and gently mix so it’s evenly distributed.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those dishes that feels like a warm hug after a long day. I love how forgiving it is – whatever vegetables I have on hand seem to work, and the soy-sesame flavor always ties everything together.
