Red rice cakes (tteokbokki)

Tteokbokki is a typical Korean street snack consisting of thick slices of garaetteok (boiled rice cake), fish cake, onions, sliced garlic, salt, sugar, and other veggies stir-fried in sweet red chili sauce. This famous delicacy is generally offered by street vendors and independent snack bars, and is distinguished by its vibrant red-orange ensemble.

Ingredients

• 350g / 12 ounces Korean rice cakes, separated
• 150g / 5.3 ounces Korean fish cakes, rinsed over hot water & cut into bite size pieces
• 2 cups Korean soup stock (dried kelp and dried anchovy stock), use this recipe
• 60g / 2 ounces onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp raw sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped

Instructions

• Soak your rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes unless they're already soft.
• In a small saucepan over medium high heat, bring the soup stock to a boil, then mix in the tteokbokki sauce with a spatula to dissolve it. Add the rice cakes, fish cakes, and onion to the boiling seasoned stock. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the rice cakes are thoroughly cooked. Then, to thicken the sauce and intensify the taste, cook it for another 2 to 4 minutes over low heat.
• Quickly whisk in the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and green onion. Warm the dish before serving.