Tteokbokki (sometimes also spelled Dukbokki) is the perfect comfort food for when you’re craving that extra something spicy. It’s a popular Korean street food and one of my all-time favorite meals growing up as a child. No, I didn’t grow up in Korea (in Chicago actually) but I was raised in a Korean household where my mom made Tteokbokki for my sisters and I, and whenever she did it was always a special treat.
The two most important ingredients you need in order to make tteokbokki deliciously spicy are Gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) and gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes). They are both standard Korean ingredients, so they are readily available in most Asian supermarkets and definitely those that have a Korean section. Use more or less depending on the level of heat you can handle, but in my opinion the spicier the better.
I still consider tteokbokki a treat. While it satisfies my spicy craving it also brings me back in time with fond childhood memories from the past.
Recipe adapted from Korean Bapsang (with slight changes).
Tteokbokki (떡볶이) - Korean Spicy Rice Cakes
You can make it as spicy as you want or tone it down with a milder spice. Either way it's the best Korean street food there is, and you can easily make it at home.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) Korean rice cakes (tteok)
- 3 cups water
- 8-9 dried anchovies
- 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 zucchini
- 6-7 mushrooms
- 1-2 scallions
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Step 1 In a large bowl soak your tteok (korean rice cakes) in water for about 20 minutes. If you bought them fresh you can skip this step.
- Step 2 Cut your zucchini into thick rounds and then cut each round into quarter pieces. Cut your mushrooms in half or quarter pieces. (Typically Korean green cabbage or oden (fish cake) is used but I chose to replace them with zucchini and mushrooms. Set aside.
- Step 3 Finely mince your garlic clove and slice your scallions. Set aside.
- Step 4 In a large skillet add 3 cups of water and all the anchovies. Cook for 10 minutes. Take out anchovies.
- Step 5 Add in gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar and minced garlic. Stir and make sure the gochujang (red chili pepper paste) is completely dissolved.
- Step 6 Add the rice cakes. Cook until rice cakes become soft and sauce thickens, about 8-10 minutes. The starch from the rice cakes helps thicken the sauce.
- Step 7 Add the zucchini and mushrooms (or whatever additional components you want to add). Cook for about 2 minutes longer or until the vegetables are just done.
- Step 8 Add sliced scallions and roasted sesame seeds. Toss gently. Serve immediately.