Ryu Soo-young Style Tteokkochi
Irresistibly Addictive Snack: Ryu Soo-young’s Tteokkochi Recipe
When you’re pondering snacks for the kids, why not whip up some delicious tteokkochi using the gara-tteok (rice cakes) you have stored in your freezer? Sometimes, the same old tteokbokki can get monotonous. This recipe, inspired by Ryu Soo-young, offers a delightful alternative. While it’s designed for gara-tteok or mil-tteok (wheat flour rice cakes), any type of rice cake, including those for tteokguk (rice cake soup), will work wonderfully. Get ready for a crispy exterior, chewy interior, and a sweet and savory sauce that will have you reaching for more!
Essential Ingredients- 12 Tteok (rice cakes, gara-tteok or mil-tteok)
- Scallions, a small amount (to taste)
- Cooking oil, a little
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
If using frozen gara-tteok, soak them in water until softened, then drain thoroughly to remove excess moisture. Slice the scallions to match the thickness of the rice cakes, similar to how Chef Ryu Soo-young does it. If you only have pre-cut scallions, select the thicker pieces for this step.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine 1.5 Tbsp of flour with 60ml of water. You can add a pinch of salt if desired. Whisk until smooth and lump-free. This recipe uses half the amount of rice cakes and sauce for convenience. Preparing the sauce in advance makes the cooking process much smoother. The leftover sauce can also be used for other dishes like ‘sotteok sotteok’ (sausage and rice cake skewers).
Step 3
Heat a little cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the drained rice cakes and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until they are lightly golden brown. Traditionally, scallions are stir-fried with the rice cakes. However, if you have less or thinner scallions, adding them later will infuse their flavor well. Scallions help to cut through the richness of the tteok.
Step 4
Push the stir-fried rice cakes to one side of the pan and pour in the prepared flour-water mixture. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the rice cakes, giving them a glossy sheen. The tteokkochi is ready when you can gently shake the pan and the cakes detach easily. Be careful with the heat; if it’s too high, the flour can burn, so lower it to low heat towards the end to ensure even cooking.
Step 5
Place a plate, sized to fit the tteokkochi, upside down over the pan. Carefully invert the pan to transfer the tteokkochi onto the plate. Now, generously brush the prepared sauce over the tteokkochi. It’s best to start with a moderate amount of sauce and add more as needed, rather than overloading it initially. Adjust the sauce to your liking and enjoy your delicious homemade tteokkochi!
