Nostalgic Taste! Old-School Convenience Store Tteokbokki Recipe
Relive Your Childhood: Easy & Delicious ‘Convenience Store Tteokbokki’ Recipe at Home
Introducing the ‘Old-School Convenience Store Tteokbokki’ recipe from culinary researcher Lee Bo-eun, guaranteed to captivate everyone with its sweet and spicy flavor. Create a special taste with simple ingredients.
Tteokbokki Ingredients- Tteokbokki rice cakes (wheat or regular) 400g
- Square fish cakes 4 sheets
- Green onion 1 stalk
- Onion 1/2
- Hard-boiled eggs 3
Delicious Tteokbokki Sauce- Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 1 Tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce (jin ganjang) 3 Tbsp
- Sugar 1 Tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot) 3 Tbsp
- Kelp-infused water (or anchovy broth) 3 cups (approx. 600ml)
- Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 1 Tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 Tbsp
- Soy sauce (jin ganjang) 3 Tbsp
- Sugar 1 Tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot) 3 Tbsp
- Kelp-infused water (or anchovy broth) 3 cups (approx. 600ml)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The first step to delicious tteokbokki is preparing the rice cakes! To prevent them from sticking together, separate them one by one and soak them in cold water. Soak wheat cakes (mil-tteok) for about 30 minutes, and regular rice cakes (ssal-tteok) for about 15 minutes. This helps them absorb the sauce better for a tastier dish.
Step 2
To capture that authentic convenience store taste, slice the fish cakes into long, approximately 2cm wide strips. This size is perfect for a single bite, making them easy to eat alongside the rice cakes.
Step 3
Cut the green onion into sizable pieces, about 3-4cm long, and it’s even better if you split them lengthwise. Slice the onion into thick shreds; they add a pleasant texture and sweetness.
Step 4
Hard-boiled eggs are a must-have in tteokbokki! Boil them until fully cooked, then peel and set aside. You can simply add them to the tteokbokki when it’s done. Mashing them into the sauce is also a delicious treat.
Step 5
The secret to tteokbokki’s deep flavor is kelp-infused water! Soak two pieces of dried kelp (about 5cm square each) in 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes. (If you have anchovy broth prepared, you can use that instead.) This kelp water provides excellent umami without needing other seasonings.
Step 6
Now, let’s make the delicious tteokbokki sauce! In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp of gochugaru and 2 Tbsp of gochujang. Gradually add the kelp-infused water while stirring to dissolve any clumps, creating a smooth paste.
Step 7
Next, add 3 Tbsp of soy sauce and 1 Tbsp of sugar, mixing well. The golden ratio of sweet and salty is crucial here.
Step 8
In the prepared sauce, add the chopped green onions and sliced onions and mix them in.
Step 9
We’ll add the fish cakes right away and let them cook together. The umami from the fish cakes will make the tteokbokki sauce even richer and more flavorful.
Step 10
Once the sauce begins to bubble, add the soaked tteokbokki rice cakes. Adding the rice cakes when the sauce starts boiling helps them cook evenly and absorb the flavor. Wheat cakes, in particular, take time to cook, so adding them at this stage ensures they are perfectly tender. The starch released from the rice cakes will also thicken the sauce delightfully.
Step 11
Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Be mindful of the heat to prevent it from reducing too much.
Step 12
When the sauce has thickened nicely and the rice cakes are well-coated, carefully add the prepared hard-boiled eggs.
Step 13
Finally, add 3 Tbsp of corn syrup. This will give your tteokbokki a beautiful sheen and a pleasant, subtle sweetness.
Step 14
There you have it! The nostalgic ‘Old-School Convenience Store Tteokbokki’ is ready. With its mild, comforting flavor and addictive savory taste, you’ll find yourself scraping up every last bit of the delicious sauce, not just the rice cakes and fish cakes!
