Tteokbokki
Spicy rice cakes.
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) is Korean street food in its purest form, chewy rice cakes in a sweet-spicy red sauce, served from steaming carts outside Seoul subway stations. It is the after-school snack, the late-night drinking food, the homesickness antidote for Koreans abroad.
The modern version dates to the 1950s, when Ma Bok-rim of Sindangdong reportedly accidentally dropped rice cakes into a pot of jajangmyeon sauce and realized it tasted incredible. By the 1970s, tteokbokki had become a national obsession, and Sindangdong remains a tteokbokki pilgrimage neighborhood today.
This is Mrs. Lee’s home version, not the fiery street stuff, but a balanced sweet-spicy that suits a family table. Adjust the gochugaru up if you want to chase the carts.
Instructions
- If using refrigerated rice cakes, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to soften.
- In a wide pan, combine the broth, gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, and soy sauce. Whisk to dissolve the pastes.
- Bring to a simmer. Add the onion and garlic. Cook 3 minutes.
- Add the rice cakes and fish cakes. Simmer 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.
- The sauce will reduce and thicken into a glossy red coat as the rice cakes release their starch.
- Add green onions and any optional additions (eggs, noodles) in the last 2 minutes.
- Serve straight from the pan, with extra napkins.
Tips that don’t fit on a recipe card.
Fresh rice cakes are best. If you can find fresh (not frozen) tteokbokki tteok, use them, they have the right chew. Frozen works, but soak longer.
Adjust the spice carefully. Start with 1 tablespoon of gochugaru if you are unsure. You can always add more.
Don’t overcook. Rice cakes go from perfect to mushy in two minutes. Watch them, and pull the pan when they are still firm in the center.
What goes alongside.
- Boiled eggs in the pot (a tteokbokki classic)
- Crispy fried mandu (dumplings) on the side
- An ice-cold soda, tradition demands it
Spice levels
Mild: 1 tablespoon gochugaru, 2 tablespoons gochujang. Medium: the recipe above. Street-style hot: 3 tablespoons gochugaru and a teaspoon of cheongyang gochu (Korean chili) on top.
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