These soft and chewy rice cakes are commonly sold by street vendors in Korea. The rice cakes provide a chewy texture while the sauce is packed with flavor!
Korean Street Food
Korea is known as one of the top destinations in the world for street food. You can find variations of this dish all over the streets of Korea. In addition, a plate of this deliciousness will only set you back $2-3!
Traditionally, tteokbokki is made using anchovy broth – but I know that’s a difficult ingredient to find. So, I used chicken broth for this recipe which provides a really great flavor. You could also use water, but I recommend some sort of flavored broth for more flavor!
Tteokbokki, or rice cakes
Tteokbokki are stir fried rice cakes with a cylinder-shaped form. It can be sold fresh, refrigerated or frozen. Obviously 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 chewy.
Where to find the ingredients
All of these ingredients can be found at an Asian grocery store. If you have a Korean grocery store near you (like H-Mart), even better. Alternatively, you can check the International section of your large supermarket for gochujang and sesame oil, but I doubt they will carry ttteokbokki.
If all else fails, Amazon and some other online grocers carry tteokbokki, but it comes with a hefty price tag.
The sauce – is it spicy?
This recipe is not spicy, but that’s just my opinion and spice level is relative based on who you’re asking. It has a hint of spice, yes – but it’s more of a medium low spice if I had to rate it.
Gochujang
The spice level is determined by what brand of gochujang you use. Certain brands are more sweet than spicy, and other brands are very spicy. If you want to add more spice, simply add fine gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) to your dish. Alternatively, you can add a tablespoon less of gochujang if you’re worried about the spice level.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes! This dish is very easy to make vegan. All you have to do is swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth and you’re all set.
How to store leftovers
I recommend storing leftovers in the fridge for no more than 3 to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers on the stove by adding a splash of broth on low heat and covering until soft.
Watch my video tutorial below!
Tteokbokki – Korean Spicy Rice Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cup (320 g) tteokbokki, aka rice cakes
- 2 cups (480 g) chicken broth
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 4 scallion stalks
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Add the broth, gochujang, brown sugar and soy sauce to a pan and mix well. It will be easier to mix as the ingredients are heated. Bring the sauce to a rapid boil on very high heat and add the rice cakes.
- Once it starts boiling, let it cook for 5 minutes and stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
- Then, add the sesame seeds and lower the heat to medium. Let it cook until the sauce is reduced. If you cooked off too much of the sauce, simply add more broth.
- When the sauce has reached your desired consistency, add the chopped green onions and sesame oil. Eat with toothpicks and enjoy!
