ramyaramesh3007These spicy chewy korean rice cakes, also known as tteokbokki, are fun to eat, addictive and pack lots of spices and flavour! These can be made in just 15 minutes.
Tteokbokki, a popular Korean street food, has said to have originated from Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Initially, it was a royal court dish called “tteokjjim,” which consisted of rice cakes (tteok) steamed with various ingredients. Over time, the dish evolved, and by the mid-20th century, it transformed into the spicy, stir-fried version that we all love today – these are typically made with fish cakes, gochujang and vegetables.
Although I didn’t grow up eating tteokbokki a lot, my newfound obsession with these simple chewy cylindrical rice cakes can be put simply – it absorbs so much flavour from the sauce that makes it very addictive. You can use frozen rice cakes but I’ve used fresh long rice cakes that almost remind me of noodles!
Ingredients You Need
- korean tteokbokki – chewy rice cakes that are fresh or frozen
- aromatics – minced garlic, spring onions (both white and green parts)
- mushroom seasoning – either mushroom powder or dashi works. If not you can use vegetarian oyster sauce!
- gochujang – korean red chili paste
- gochugaru – korean red pepper flakes
- tomato ketchup – to balance the spice with sweet and sour profiles
- sweetener – agave
- light soy sauce
- garnish – toasted sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, spring onions
Gluten free substitutions: Substitute soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce / tamari / coconut aminos. Omit gochujang and substitute with more gochugaru or a gluten free chili paste.
Allium free substitutions: Omit minced garlic and spring onions. Use a pinch of hing (asafoetida) in the sauce.
Spicy Korean Tteokbokki
Ingredients
- 300 g fresh or frozen tteokbokki
- 150 g extra firm tofu
- olive oil for frying
- 2 stalks spring onions
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp mushroom seasoning (optional)
Tteokbokki Sauce
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp gochugaru
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1/2 tbsp agave
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Garnish
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds
- spring onions
Instructions
- If using dried rice cakes, soak them in water for about 30 minutes to soften. You can use fresh ones readily.
- Pan fry tofu slices in olive oil until crispy. You can also bake or air fry them.
- In a bowl, mix together the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, ketchup, agave and rice wine vinegar. Set aside.
- In a large pan or skillet, add oil. Saute white part of scallions and minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the sauce mixture.
- Add 1 cup water and mushroom seasoning to boil.
- Add the rice cakes to the sauce and cook for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. If using fresh rice cakes, 3 minutes would be ideal.
- Add the pan fried tofu. Cook for an 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and everything is heated through.
- Remove from heat and serve hot, garnished with toasted sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!