Tteokbokki – Korean spicy rice cakes

Ingredients

• 500 g cylinder-shaped Korean rice cakes
• 750 ml water or mild anchovy stock
• 3 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp gochugaru, adjusted to heat
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 200 g Korean fish cake, cut into pieces, optional
• 150 g white cabbage, roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 2 boiled eggs, optional
• 1 tsp sesame seeds to serve

Method

1. Soak frozen or firm rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.
2. Whisk water or stock with gochujang, gochugaru, sugar and soy sauce in a wide pan and bring to a boil.
3. Add rice cakes, fish cake and cabbage. Simmer over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add spring onions and boiled eggs. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy.
5. Serve immediately with sesame. The sauce thickens further as it cools.

Tips and variations

• If the sauce becomes too thick, add water; if too thin, simmer uncovered longer.
• For less heat, omit gochugaru and use only 2 tbsp gochujang.
• For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and omit fish cake.