If you love rice cakes lathered in a rich and creamy sauce, then this rose tteokbokki recipe is for you! It’s quick, easy and delicious!
What is rose tteokbokki?
Living in Korea has exposed me to so many foods that just aren’t available in the States. One of those foods is rose tteokbokki. It a very popular dish in Korea and was even trending on social media awhile ago.
I first ordered the dish from the most popular delivery app Baedal Minjok (배달의 민족) and was amazed! The rose tteokbokki was light, yet rich and creamy with a hint of sweetness. I loved it, so that’s why I’m sharing this dish with you now! I saved the sauce from my order when testing this recipe and, after several failed attempts, I finally created a sauce that tastes almost identical to what I ordered.
Tteokbokki, or rice cakes!
Tteokbokki are stir fried rice cakes with a cylinder-shaped form. It is sold fresh, refrigerated or frozen. Fresh is best, but refrigerated is the next best option. I recommend frozen last because the rice cakes often crack and the texture is not as fresh.
Cheese-filled tteokbokki is hands down my favorite type of rice cake. It’s very difficult to find, however, but so very addictive! Definitely give these a try if you’re lucky enough to find it at a Korean market.
Rose tteokbokki sauce ingredients:
dashi
Otherwise known as Japanese soup stock, or bonito soup stock. I use the brand Hondashi soup stock flakes for convenience. All you need to do is add water. If you can’t find dashi, then substitute chicken or vegetable broth.
milk
I used whole dairy milk for this recipe. I recommend any kind of dairy milk for best results, but certainly use any milk you prefer. A creamier milk would be best, though.
heavy cream
Heavy cream is essential for a thicker and creamy sauce consistency. I used the Korean brand Maeil whipping cream for this recipe.
curry powder
Curry powder is the most important ingredient for this recipe! It was hard to find this ingredient in Korea, so I attempted this recipe without it the first few times and wasn’t happy with the end result. The curry powder adds so much flavor and pairs perfectly with the creamy sauce.
gochugaru
Otherwise known as Korean red pepper flakes. This ingredient is not essential, but I definitely recommend it! It adds a slight spice kick and gives more texture to the sauce. I prefer to use fine gochugaru as opposed to the course flakes.
sugar
Sugar is important to balance the other flavors of the dish. So many people are afraid of using sugar in their cooking because they think the dish will come out “sweet”. Honestly, I used to think this way for years too. But, one day I started to add a pinch of sugar in my cooking and was amazed by the difference it made. So many dishes you love eating have a small amount of sugar in it and you would never be able to tell. Try using a little bit at a time, taste it, then add more if necessary.
gochujang
This is Korean red pepper paste. Despite its vibrant red color, I don’t think it’s that spicy. It really depends on the brand, so taste test a few and figure out which you like best. Oftentimes, there are spice levels on the package, so read it before you buy. Level 4 is VERY spicy, but level 3 and below are more mild.
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Rose Tteokbokki
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
If you love rice cakes lathered in a rich and creamy sauce, then this rose tteokbokki recipe is for you! It’s quick, easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 bacon slices
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly minced (14g)
- ¼ cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) *can substitute chicken broth
- ½ cup milk *see note
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ mini Korean sausages (85g)
- ½ tsp curry powder *see note
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 2 cups rice cakes (350g)
- salt if needed
- dried parsley flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Starting with a cold pan, add the bacon and turn the heat on to medium. Cook until the bacon fat renders and the bacon is slightly browned and still soft. The bacon will continue to cook later, so no need to cook it entirely. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Cut the bacon into bite size pieces and drain some of the oil in the pan so that only a thin layer is left. Then, bring a pot of water to a boil for later to cook the rice cakes (skip if using fresh rice cakes).
- Add the dashi, milk and cream and continue to cook on medium heat. Cut slits in the mini sausages so it can release steam as it cooks and add to the pan. Next, add curry powder, gochugaru, sugar and gochujang. Taste test it and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- The water from earlier should be boiling now, so add the rice cakes and cook for about 1 or 2 minutes until soft and easily pierced with a toothpick. Drain well and add to the sauce pot. Stir well and let it simmer until the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Plate, garnish with dried parsley flakes & enjoy!
Notes
Milk: I used whole milk for this recipe and recommend any dairy milk (low-fat, 2%, etc.) for best taste and a creamy consistency.
Curry powder: I used Simply Organic curry powder for this recipe which has a mild flavor compared to a lot of other brands. Keep in mind that using a different brand might change the flavor from what I intended for this recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Cuisine: Korean food
Keywords: korean food, rose tteokbokki, rice cakes
