Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes) with Boiled Eggs

Photo: Popo le Chien · CC0 · source

Korea's number-one street snack, made a lunch: chewy rice cakes simmered in a glossy, sweet-hot gochujang sauce with cabbage, scallions and halved boiled eggs. Sticky, spicy and very satisfying.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb cylinder rice cakes (tteok)
• ¼ cup gochujang
• 4 eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
• ¼ head green cabbage, in 2-inch pieces
• 4 green onions, in 2-inch pieces
• ½ small onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

From your pantry: 2 tsp gochugaru, 2½ tbsp sugar, 3½ cups water.

Instructions

1. If the rice cakes are refrigerated or frozen, soak them in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes so they cook evenly, then drain.
2. In a large, wide skillet, whisk the water with the gochujang, gochugaru, sugar, soy and fish sauce. Add the onion and bring to a boil over medium-high.
3. Add the rice cakes and boil, stirring often so they don't stick, until soft and chewy and the sauce starts to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the cabbage, garlic and eggs and keep simmering, stirring and spooning sauce over the eggs, until the cabbage is tender and the sauce is thick and glossy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick before the rice cakes are soft.
5. Stir in the green onions for the last minute, then serve hot.

Tip: Korean fish cakes (eomuk) are the classic addition. Cut 2 sheets into strips and add them with the cabbage, and use anchovy-kelp stock in place of water for a deeper sauce.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Korean Bapsang.

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