Tteok means rice cake and bokki stir-fried food. Combining these two words forms the term tteokbokki, or “stir-fried rice cake.” Ask Koreans what food makes them most nostalgic about their childhood and tteokbokki is the first thing they’ll say.
Tteokbokki contains a mild variety of probiotics that can enhance digestion and improve overall gut health. In addition to its digestive benefits, tteokbokki also contains several important vitamins and minerals. It is known for its fiery red color and bold, spicy flavor, although variations with milder or non-spicy sauces are also available. It’s a popular street food in Korea, often enjoyed as a quick snack or casual meal, and is commonly served in restaurants and food stalls throughout the country.
Ingredients
1 pound of cylinder shaped rice cake (tteok), bought or homemade. (Use a little more if you’re not adding hard boiled eggs and fish cakes)
4 cups of water
7 large size dried anchovies, with heads and intestines removed
⅓ cup hot pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 green onions (scallions), cut into 3 inch long pieces
2 hard boiled eggs (optional)
½ pound fish cakes (optional)
Instruction
Add the water, dried anchovies, and dried kelp to a shallow pot or pan.
Boil for 15 minutes over medium high heat without the lid.
Combine gochujang (hot pepper paste), gochugaru (hot pepper flakes), and sugar in a small bowl.
Remove the anchovies and kelp from the pot and add the rice cake, the mixture in the bowl, the green onion, and the optional fish cakes and hard boiled eggs.
The stock will be about 2½ cups. Stir gently with a wooden spoon when it starts to boil.
Let it simmer and keep stirring until the rice cake turns soft and the tteokbokki sauce thickens and looks shiny, which should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
If the rice cake is not soft enough, add more water and continue stirring until it softens.
If you use freshly made rice cake, it takes shorter time. If you use frozen rice cake, thaw it out and soak in cold water to soften it before cooking.
Remove from the heat and serve hot.
