Korean – Tteokbokki

by Eveyln Brutz

Tteokbokki is Korea’s very popular dish which usually consists of small rice cakes in a spicy sauce. It is more like a red sauce paste but its taste and constituents are totally different. They used to make these small rice cakes in a long cylindrical shape and then stir fry them in vegetables, meat chunks, and spicy sauce. This dish is also known by another name that is ”Spicy Stir-fried rice cake”. It is not looking like a rice cake but it has small pasta-shaped rice cakes add on.

There are different names from which this dish is known because the use of small rice cakes has different names. These are also known as Rice cake noodles. The shape of the noodles is more towards the broad and cylindrical shape size. It is also known by the name Tteokbokki rice cake.

This dish has many variations because of the addition of different ingredients to the sauce like cream is added to make it white sauce tteokbokki. And sometimes seafood is added, beef strips, only stir-fried vegetables, and many more to be added into the dish to make it versatile.

HISTORY

This dish was first recorded in the 19th century in the book of SIUIJEONSEO. This Siuijeonseo is a Korean cookbook that is written and compiles in the 19th Century. In this book, Tteokbokki is written and then according to the time evolution this dish also evolved by addition of spices but the old tradition is never fading off.

It is believed that the spicy variant of the tteokbokki is an accidental thing that happens. In a Chinese restaurant, accidentally tteok is dropped into the Hot sauce and then served to the customers. The response of the customers was very good and appreciatable. They used to make this hot sauce tteokbokki and the spicy tteokbokki same into existence.

RICE CAKES

These small white, long, and cylindrical rice cakes are made and used in this dish. They are the main elements of this dish. They are also known as GARA-TTEOK. This version of rice cake is used in many Korean dishes and also sold as street food. It is prepared by adding non-glutimous rice flour into the earthen pot for a while then steam them to make the shape as you like.

For Tteokbokki, long, cylindrical shape of rice cakes are cooked. These small or thick-sized rice cakes are made. These cakes must be of the same size and same diameter so they cook properly together.

BOKKEUM

Bokkeum is a category of Stir fried dishes of Korean cuisine. BOKKDA means ”To Cook food with sauces on high heat” There are two varieties of cooking technique in Bokkeum like dry stir frying and wet stir frying.

DRY STIR FRYING

The dry bokkeum technique is using the marinated ingredients with the main element and then sautéed them on high flame. This technique is used in dried dishes like dry beef, chicken steaks, etc.

• Bokkeum-bap
• Japchae
• Gamja chae bokkeum, etc

WET STIR FRYING

Wet stir frying is the technique of adding different sauces like soya sauce, mirin, vinegar, etc. to the dish.

• Daok galbi
• Kimchi- bokkeum
• Songi- bokkeum, etc.

VARIATIONS OF THE DISH

This dish has many varieties according to the best ingredients to be added. Like we can make this dish by adding different vegetables, meat, and spices. We can make this dish by adding different kinds of sauce like spicy red sauce, mild white sauce, creamy sauce, cheesy sauce, etc.

HAEMUL- TTEOKBOKKI

This dish has addition of its main secondary ingredient which is seafood. Usually this dish is made up of Octopus but we can add any seafood we like to add. This is done by cooking this meat before by adding some spices and then mixed with the rice cake and preferred sauce. Rice cakes are of very thin and long shaped. In this dish, we have noodles looking like rice cakes to accomplish the whole dish.

GALBI- TTEOKBOKKI

This dish is made up of short rib meat slices as secondary ingredient after rice cakes. This dish is usually made up of spicy sauce by adding paprika and cayenne powder. Sometimes, green vegetables like peas, spinach, fenugreek leaves are added to give it a nice fresh flavors of vegetables.

JEONGOL TTEOKBOKKI

This dish is inspired by Chinese hot-pot. This dish is made on the table. We made all the elements like rice cakes, sauce, vegetables and meat ready to assemble. This dish is stir-fried or assemble on the table right before serving.

GOCHUJANG TTEOKBOKKI

This is a soup style dish which has thin sauce similar to the soup in which meat pieces and rice cakes are dipped. This is usually red sauce but thin in consistency and different in flavors.

CONSTITUENTS OF THE DISH

1.RICE CAKE

Rice cake must be made up of Non-glutinous rice flour and white in color. It’s shape can be changed according to the dish and desire. This is very easy to cook when added into the sauce or simply stir fry it. It is very popular as grilled rice cakes.

2.MEAT

• Beef
• seafood
• chicken
• Octopus
• Mutton
• Fish
• Prawns
• Pork, etc

3.VEGETABLES

• Spinach
• garlic
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Corn
• Bell peppers, etc

4.SAUCE

Sauce is of main two different types, Spicy and White sauce. Spicy sauce is of red color and White sauce has cream and cheese into it.

CALORIES IN TTEOKBOKKI

• Calories : 345
• Carbohydrates : 59 grams
• Fats : 9 grams
• Protein : 30 grams

INGREDIENTS IN TTEOKBOKKI

• Rice cakes : 750 grams
• Dried salted salmon : 250 grams

FOR SAUCE

• Soya sauce : 1 cup
• Brown sugar : 2 tablespoons
• Salt : 1 teaspoon
• Sesame oil : 4 tablespoons
• Canola oil : 4 tablespoons
• Anchovy stock : 3 cups
• Water : 1 cup
• Cayenne powder : 2 tablespoons
• Gochugaru : 1 tablespoons
• Gochujang : 1 tablespoons

VEGETABLES

• Scallions : 1/2 cup
• Mushrooms : 1/2 cup

COOKING METHOD

• Take rice cakes and dipped them into warm water for 15 minutes so they get soft and moist.
• In a saucepan, add water and anchovy stock with vegetables scallions and mushrooms. Simmer it for 10 minutes with this anchovy stock.
• When liquid is reduced 1/4th part, add Gochugaru, gochujang and spices into the anchovy sauce.
• It is now getting thicker in consistency.
• After 10 to 15 minutes, when sauce is thick enough, add soaked rice cakes into the sauce with salted salmon.
• Stir-fry them and add sesame oil on the top of the dish for amazing fragrance.