Tteokbokki – spicy rice cakes with gochujang sauce Recipe
Tteokbokki is a Korean street snack, often eaten in the evening with friends over beer or a non-alcoholic rice drink. These are soft, chewy rice cakes in a thick, spicy sauce, a bit like a cross between potato dumplings and a hot stew. In Seoul, they’re sold from stalls on almost every corner, especially around schools and subway stations.
This tteokbokki recipe brings the atmosphere of Korean street food straight to your kitchen: chewy rice cakes in a rich, spicy-sweet sauce that’s comforting, bold in flavor and perfect for sharing with friends.
Chef's tips
Use good-quality gochujang and gochugaru, as they define the flavor and heat level of the dish. Adjust the spiciness gradually, especially if you’re not used to Korean chili. Stir frequently while cooking so the rice cakes don’t stick to the bottom and the sauce thickens evenly.
How to serve
Serve tteokbokki as a main snack with cold beer or a non-alcoholic drink, or pair it with simple Korean side dishes like kimchi and pickled radish. It also works well as a side to fried chicken or grilled meats.
Ingredients
- tteok rice cakes rice cylinders for tteokbokki, fresh or frozen - 400 g
- vegetable stock can be made from a stock cube - 400 ml
- gochujang paste - 2 tablespoon
- gochugaru chili flakes for a spicier version, can be omitted - 1 tablespoon
- soy sauce - 1.5 tablespoon
- sugar can be replaced with honey - 1.5 tablespoon
- garlic finely chopped - 2 clove
- onion sliced into feathers - 0.5 piece
- Chinese cabbage cut into strips - 100 g
- fish cake Korean eomuk, cut into rectangles; can be omitted for a veggie version - 100 g
- vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon
- chives chopped - 3 tablespoon
- egg hard-boiled, optional - 2 piece
Preparation
- If you’re using frozen rice cakes, cover them with warm water for about 10 minutes to soften, then drain.
- In a bowl, mix the stock, gochujang paste, soy sauce, sugar, chopped garlic and chili flakes until the paste is well dissolved.
- Heat the oil in a wide pot or deep pan. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until it softens and turns slightly translucent but does not brown.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the rice cakes and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens noticeably and the rice cakes are soft inside but pleasantly chewy when bitten.
- Add the Chinese cabbage and fish cake and cook for another 3–4 minutes, until the cabbage softens but stays slightly crunchy.
- Taste the sauce and, if needed, adjust the seasoning with extra sugar or soy sauce if it’s too spicy or too salty.
- Transfer the tteokbokki to bowls, sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with halved hard-boiled eggs on top.
Storage
Przechowuj w szczelnym pojemniku, przy podgrzewaniu na patelni dolej odrobinę wody, bo sos gęstnieje i kluski mogą się przypalać.
