Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes) – Korean Street Food Style
Authentic Korean Snack Bar Style Tteokbokki
Craving that delicious, slightly sweet and spicy tteokbokki you get from Korean snack bars? This recipe brings that beloved flavor right into your kitchen! Perfect for a quick meal or a fun appetizer.
Tteokbokki Ingredients
- 2 handfuls of tteokbokki rice cakes or tteokguk rice cakes (approx. 200g)
- 2 sheets of fish cake (eomuk)
- 10 boiled and peeled quail eggs
- 2 sausages
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 stalk of green onion
Snack Bar Style Sauce Mix
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, fine) (approx. 10g)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (approx. 15g)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (optional, approx. 15ml)
- 1 tsp salt (approx. 5g)
- 1 tsp potato starch (approx. 5g, for thickening)
- 1 tsp MSG (miwon) (approx. 5g, for umami boost)
- 1 tsp dashida (anchovy or beef stock powder) (approx. 5g, for extra flavor)
- 300ml water
- 1 tsp minced garlic (approx. 5g)
- 1 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, fine) (approx. 10g)
- 1 Tbsp sugar (approx. 15g)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce (optional, approx. 15ml)
- 1 tsp salt (approx. 5g)
- 1 tsp potato starch (approx. 5g, for thickening)
- 1 tsp MSG (miwon) (approx. 5g, for umami boost)
- 1 tsp dashida (anchovy or beef stock powder) (approx. 5g, for extra flavor)
- 300ml water
- 1 tsp minced garlic (approx. 5g)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The secret to authentic snack bar tteokbokki lies in preparing the sauce mix in advance! This makes cooking much quicker. In a bowl, combine the gochugaru, sugar, salt, MSG, dashida, and potato starch. Mix well and set aside. Storing this mix in the refrigerator means you can whip up tteokbokki whenever the craving strikes!
Step 2
Rinse the tteokbokki rice cakes or tteokguk rice cakes under cold water to prevent them from sticking together. If using tteokguk rice cakes that have hardened, you can soak them in water for a short while to soften them up before cooking.
Step 3
In a wide pot or pan, add the 300ml of water. Stir in the pre-mixed sauce powder and minced garlic. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, ensuring the sauce ingredients dissolve completely.
Step 4
While the sauce is boiling, prepare your additional ingredients. Cut the fish cakes into bite-sized pieces (about 5cm long). Slice the green onion diagonally for fragrance, and julienne the onion thickly to add sweetness. (Optional: For extra flavor, you can lightly pan-fry the sliced sausages beforehand.)
Step 5
Once the sauce is boiling vigorously, reduce the heat to medium. Add the rice cakes, fish cakes, and the peeled quail eggs. Cook until the rice cakes are soft and chewy, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 6
When the rice cakes and fish cakes are partially cooked, add the sausages (if pan-fried earlier), onion, and green onion to the pot. Continue to simmer over medium heat, allowing the flavors to meld together.
Step 7
Simmer until all ingredients are cooked through and well coated with the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little more water to achieve your desired consistency. Cooking until the flavors are well-infused into all the ingredients will give you that true snack bar taste! Serve immediately for the best experience.
Step 8
Be careful not to overcook the tteokbokki, as the rice cakes can become mushy and lose their chewy texture. The goal is to have the flavors fully absorbed while maintaining the delightful chewiness of the rice cakes. Enjoy your homemade Korean street food!
