Spicy Tteokbokki
Chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet, fiery gochujang sauce with fish cakes and a boiled egg.
Ingredients
Quantities for 3. Tick things off as you go.
Method
Prepare the rice cakes
At room temperature, separate stuck rice cakes and cut long ones into bite-sized lengths; soak refrigerated cakes in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain, while fresh cakes need no soaking.
Make the sauce
In a wide pan at least 30 cm across or 4 litres in capacity, combine water or stock, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar and garlic over medium-high heat; stir for 3 to 5 minutes until boiling.
Simmer the rice cakes and fish cakes
Add rice cakes and fish cakes, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring often; the rice cakes should begin softening but may still have a firm centre.
Check tenderness and continue cooking
Check a rice cake for a firm centre, then simmer for 4 to 7 minutes more over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until tender and chewy throughout; add 50 ml hot water if the sauce thickens too soon.
Finish with spring onions and eggs
Add spring onions and peeled eggs and simmer gently for 2 minutes, turning the eggs once, until the onions soften and the eggs are hot.
Serve
Divide the rice cakes, fish cakes and sauce among 3 bowls, add 1 egg to each and scatter with sesame seeds while hot.
Tips
- Stir frequently, scraping the base and corners of the pan to prevent sticking or scorching.
- Rice cakes are ready when tender and chewy throughout, with no firm centre.
- Dried rice cakes usually need soaking according to the packet, often for several hours or overnight; frozen cakes can be soaked or briefly thawed, and either may need extra simmering. Follow packet directions and use the tenderness cue.
Swaps
- For a gentler sauce, reduce gochugaru to 1 teaspoon and gochujang to 2 tablespoons.
- Use sliced Korean fish cakes in place of sheets, keeping the total weight at 150 g.
Storing
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water until steaming hot; the sauce thickens as it cools.
Nutrition per serving
490 kcal · protein 17 g · carbs 92 g · fat 8 g · fibre 3 g. This is an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Allergens
Read the label on every ingredient you buy. We can't account for how a product was made or packed.
How this page was made
Written by the Cookt team for the Cookt app, following our recipe standards. AI tools help us draft, check and illustrate recipes. No star ratings until enough people have rated this recipe in Cookt.
