Tteokbokki Recipe (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)

Tteokbokki also known as Spicy Rice Cakes is a traditional Korean recipe that is popular all over Korea. It is made with chewy rice cake called as garaetteok cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. In this blog post, I am sharing you how to make Tteokbokki easily at home with step by step pictures and video.

Tteokbokki

Tteokbokki is relatively new to make until I visited Korea. Most of the street vendor in Korea sells bubbly hot tteokbokki made in a large trays. I even got a chance to try few of them. Tteokbokki was hot, spicy and sweet at the same time, the chewy rice cake added in this sauce complimented really well. Depending on the tteokbokki you buy, you get fish cakes, boiled eggs, even cabbage added to it.

When I tried to recreate rice cake at home, I was surprised how easy it is to make at home. The next day I made a pot of tteokbokki using homemade rice cake. You must try this if you enjoy Korean food.

About Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

Tteokbokki also known as spicy rice cakes. It is made with chewy rice cake called as garaetteok cooked in a sweet and spicy sauce. The sauce plays an important role in making of tteokbokki. It is made with gochujang, gochugaru, garlic, soy sauce, ketchup and sugar. It is spicy, sweet and tasty at the same time.

Tteokbokki is cooked in some kind of stock. Traditionally it is cooked in dried anchovy and kelp stock. Personally I don’t prefer the fishy taste of the stock, so I use veg stock or chicken stock.

If you are using fresh rice cakes, you can add them directly into the stock which is what I did. But if you are using frozen, it has to be soaked in warm water for 15 minutes prior cooking to soften them.

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Watch Tteokbokki Recipe Video

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I used my shallot earthern ware pot to make tteokbokki so I can serve directly in them. You can cook them in a shallow frying pan or sauce pan.

Tteokbokki is a one pot meal on its own. You can add extra ingredients like fish cakes, boiled eggs, boiled quail eggs, boiled mandu or even veggies like cabbage, zucchini to make it a one pot meal.

You can serve this with some steamed rice if you want. But traditionally it is had on its own with a bowl of noodles, pan seared Korean dumplings and kimchi. You can enjoy this with soup as well.

Tteokbokki Ingredients

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Ttteokbokki Sauce – tteokbokki sauce is made with gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, soy sauce. I like to use some tomato ketchup which adds to the taste of the sauce. Make sure you use tons of garlic which is one of the important ingredient.

Stock of Choice – Dried anchovies and kelp stock is used in making tteokbokki. You can use chicken stock or veg stock as per availablity.

Rice Cakes – I used homemade fresh rice cakes which I added directly in to the stock. if you are using frozen rice cakes, thaw them first and then soak them in warm water for 15 minutes prior cooking to soften them.

Spring Onions – lots of spring onions is added for taste and flavour.

Sesame Seeds – make sure you garnish with sesame seeds and if needed some toasted sesame oil for flavour.

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How to Make Tteokbokki (Stepwise Pictures)

Mix Tteokbokki Sauce

1)Take gochujang paste in a small bowl. There are many variety of gochujang available in the market starting from mild to spicy. You can use which ever you prefer. Add in sugar into the gochujang. Instead of white sugar you can use unrefined brown sugar as well.

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2)Add in gochugaru and soy sauce. Gochugaru is a Korean chilli pepper powder, which is relatively mild.

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3)Add in tomato ketchup which is used mainly for taste and add in lots of finely chopped garlic.

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4)Mix this really well. This is your sauce.

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Making Tteokbokki Stock

5)Traditionally Tteokbokki is cooked in anchovy stock. But I like to use either vegetable stock or chicken stock. Use some kind of stock else Tteokbokki can be bland without much flavour.

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6)Add in finely chopped spring onion white part. Instead of this, you can use one sliced onions.

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7)Bring this to a full boil.

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Making Tteokbokki

8)Once it starts boiling, add in the korean rice cake. Bring this to a boil.

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9)Now add in the sauce which we mixed earlier.

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10)Mix the sauce into the Tteokbokki and let it boil.

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11)You have to cook this until the sauce thickens. It will take around 10 minutes.

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Finishing Touches

12)Add in spring onion greens which I have cut into shards.

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13)Mix well and let it cook.

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14)Now the Tteokbokki has thickened beautifully and looks glossy.

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15)Finally add in sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, and spring onions and enjoy.

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16)This is a simple version of making tteokbokki. I have shared more ingredients that you can add in this below. Make sure you check it.

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Expert Tips

• You can taste and adjust the ingredients in the sauce. If you want you can use more gochugaru for spicy kick.
• Fresh tteokbokki cooks faster than frozen. 
• You can add boiled eggs, fish cakes, mandu into the tteokbokki for making it a full meal.
• Sliced onions can be used instead of spring onions. 

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