You can easily find tteokbokki or spicy rice cakes at almost all food streets or markets in South Korea. It’s a very popular street food snack that really ticks all the right boxes – not just with tourists but locals too. It’s not hard to always spot K-actors buying/eating/cooking tteokbokki in almost every K-drama. ๐
I’ve seen tteokbokki being sold at some Korean food kiosks and eateries in Singapore but the portions look quite miserable for the ‘slightly on the high’ price. Good thing is, we can easily make tteokbokki at home to feed a bigger group (5-6) as a meal on its own or even more people (7-10) if eaten as a small snack – based on this recipe portion.
I got two packets of this rice cake from the chilled section of FairPrice Xtra which cost about $3.20 each. They come in tubular and sliced versions. Prefer the former as they have a thicker and chewier bite compared to the sliced ones.
And I got this packet of Korean fish cake slices from the frozen section. The slices are huge so you’ll need to slice them into bite-sized pieces.
Preparing The Stock
I made the stock from scratch with dried kelp and bonito flakes that I bought from the Japanese supermarket. You can also use any home-made or store-bought vegetable/meat stock. Another easiest way would be to dissolve seasoning powder/cube in hot water. Whatever you are using, try to opt for reduced sodium stock so you can tweak the seasoning later on to your own preference.
This is the colour of the kelp/bonito stock that I made.
Ta-daa! My home-made tteokbokki that is full of ingredients. ๐ And with a good balance of flavours.
Eat Korean Rice Cakes In Moderation
- 1kg rice cakes
- 200g fish cakes, sliced into bite-sized triangles
- 250g cocktail sausages
- 3 stalks leek, sliced diagonally into 1″ sections (separate leaves from stalks)
- 5 sprigs spring onions, cut into 1″ sections
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled & sliced
- 1500ml water
- 27g dried kelp or konbu, rinsed
- 10g bonito flakes
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 5-6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
Thought For The Day
Just as I am writing this blog post at Starbucks, I’m looking at this very cheerful family right in front of me enjoying their food, coffee, conversations and of course, good company. When the son has to leave, he kisses his parents on their cheeks. It’s the first time I see a guy in his 20s showing such affection in public for his elderly parents (in Singapore). Really, really sweet and heartwarming. Can’t help it but I feel somewhat envious of this family. Feel very happy for them at the same time too. ๐