Tteokbokki
The Tteokbok-key To Happiness
What is tteokbokki?
A popular Korean street food, Tteokbokki is chewy rice cakes cooked in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.
You’ll love it if…
Tteokbokki is all about textures. Its chewy, gooey, warm, and smooth. The cheesy, sweet and spicy gochujang sauce is a flavour punch. This is the ultimate comfort food. *Chef’s kiss*
When I was a kid my favourite sweet in the Quality Street tin was the toffee penny. I loved biting into something that seemed brittle and then having my jaws glued shut as I chewed. If like me, you are a fan of the texture of soft chews, caramels and mochi – then you’ll love the texture of Tteok; Korean rice cakes. In this recipe, soft and chewy mochi gets into a warm bath of spicy, sweet sauce. And then it gets wrapped up in a big fluffy towel of oozy cheese.
Warm, chewy, cozy, carby, savoury heaven. It’s the ultimate comfort food.
Korean rice cakes lend their signature soft chewiness to a thick and smooth, deep red gochujangy sauce. Soft boiled eggs and fish add a pop of flavour and complementary texture. Finish off with a generous heap of cheese which becomes a gooey blanket on top. Though this looks complicated, it’s actually quick and easy to make.
Prep The Ingredients & Mix the Sauce
Mix all the sauce ingredients with the hot water.
Pre-soften The Rice Cakes
Put the rice cakes (tteok) and peeled hard boiled eggs in the pan and cook, turning gently with a spatula until lightly browned on all sides.
Cook The Tteokbokki In The Sauce
Pour the sauce into the pan. Turn the heat to low and keep stirring until the sauce gets thicker.
Add the fish and green onions and cook until the fish is cooked through.
Add the cheese on top, put a lid on and cook until the cheese melts.
Serve and Enjoy!
Sprinkle the spring onions and sesame seeds on top. Bon Appetit!
Works great in a lunchbox too! The Chef has paired it with quick Korean Pan-Fried Fish (Daegujeon)
- Pan fry the rice cakes and hardboiled eggs to soften up the mochi. You could also leave it in boiling water for 5 minutes, but doing it in the pan adds a lovely roasted flavour.
- You can swap the rice cakes for frozen dumplings, ready made gnocchi or potatoes.
- Instead of hot water you can use any stock or broth, this will add to the flavour
- We’re using fish in this recipe because it adds extra texture and flavour, but traditionally its cooked with fishcakes. You can omit the fish entirely or swap for hot dogs.
- Finish the cheese under the grill setting in the oven for extra gooeyness. Who doesn’t love a good cheese pull!
Easy Cheesy Tteokbokki
Equipment
- Any pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups ready made korean rice cakes (Tteok)
Optional
- 250 grams white fish fillet cut into pieces 1-2 inch pieces* uncooked OR 1 cup Korean fish cakes *the chef has used sole.
- 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, whole
For the Sauce
- 2 heaped tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) or powdered sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- ½ cup spring onions including greens, sliced
- 1½ cups hot water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sweet or spicy fresh green peppers, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil *optional
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds *optional
For the Topping
- ⅔ cup mozzarella shredded
- ½ cup spring onions including greens, sliced
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds *optional
Instructions
- Heat up a pan to high heat, add a drizzle of any cooking oil. Put 2 cups ready made tteok and 4 peeled hard boiled eggs in the pan and cook, turning gently with a spatula until lightly browned on all sides.
- In a bowl mix all the sauce ingredients in 1½ cups hot water to dissolve the gochujang.
- Pour the sauce into the tteokbokki and egg pan. Turn the heat to low and keep stirring until the sauce gets thicker – approximately 3-5 mins
- Add 250 grams white fish fillet cut into pieces 1-2 inch pieces* OR 1 cup Korean fish cakes and stir through gently so that the fish doesn’t break. Cook for another minute.
- Add ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella on top, put a lid on the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts. You can also finish the cheese in the oven under the grill setting for extra gooeyness.
- Sprinkle ½ cup sliced spring onions and ½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds on top. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
FAQ
Can You Make Cheesy Tteokbokki Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make Cheesy Tteokbokki ahead of time. Prepare the dish as usual but stop before adding the cheese. Store the cooked rice cakes and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, reheat the tteokbokki in a pan, add the cheese, and cook until melted.
How do I make tteokbokki less spicy?
To make tteokbokki less spicy, reduce the amount of gochujang (Korean red chili paste) and omit gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) entirely. You can add more soy sauce to maintain the dish’s flavor balance since gochujang also adds saltiness. You can also add a little bit of tomato puree which will make it less spicy.
Can I add other ingredients to tteokbokki?
Yes, tteokbokki is a versatile dish. You can omit the fish and boiled eggs if you like. You can add various ingredients to enhance its flavour and texture. Common add-ins include fish cakes, vegetables (like sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage), and different types of noodles (like udon or ramen). You could even use store bought gnocchi instead of rice cakes.
What should I do if the sauce becomes too thick?
If the tteokbokki sauce becomes too thick, you can add more water or broth to achieve the desired consistency. This will help ensure that the sauce coats the rice cakes and other ingredients evenly, providing a balanced flavour and texture. It’s important to stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan and burning.
