Chewy Tteokbokki(떡볶이)

 You might see many cart bars (포장마차) in Korea. Cart bars usually sell Korean snacks, like Tteokbokk i(떡볶이), Sundae (순대), fried food (튀김), and so on. Especially, Tteokbokki is the most popular Korean snack because it is easy to make Tteokbokki in the house. Also, there are many franchise stores and specialty Tteokbokki restaurants. Let’s taste Tteokbokki and make it!

 Tteokbokki’s main ingredient is rice cake, Tteok (떡). Especially Garaetteok (가래떡), cylinder-shaped Tteok, is used in Tteokbokki. However, there are many Tteok that is made of flour because of cheap price. But if you use rice Tteok, it will be more chewy and delicious. Another ingredients in Tteokbokki are fish cakes (어묵), scallions, boiled eggs and so on. Tteokbokki is spicy and sweet, because it is seasoned with starch syrup and red pepper paste, Gochujang (고추장). Also, there are variety kinds of Tteokbokki; For example, Labokki (라볶이) and making Tteokbokki with self-service (즉석 떡볶이). Labokki is a mix of Tteokbokki and instant noodles (ramen). Another one is making Tteokbokki with self-service. Actually many Tteokbokki restaurant have this menu for main dish. These restaurants are furnished with portable gas stove and pot. When uncooked Tteokbokki is served, people use portable gas stove to boil and wait until cooked. This is very popular to students because making Tteokbokki is interesting and fried rice (볶음밥) with Tteokbokki seasoning is offered to them. These two kinds of Tteokbokkis are very popular to Korean.

 Anyway, let me introduce Tteokbokki recipe. It is good to use special broth (육수), but we use just water. Here are ingredients of Tteokbokki: Garaetteok (가래떡), fish cakes (어묵), onions, carrots, scallions, a boiled egg, Gochujang (고추장), starch syrup, and tomato ketchup.

1.     Slice vegetables and fish cakes into small pieces.

2.     Put Garaetteoks into the pot and pour water as much as Garaetteoks are under water.

3.     Make seasoning : add Gochujang, tamato ketchup and they are in the ratio of 1:1. If you can’t spicy food, you have to put tomato ketchup more. Also put starch syrup 1tsp.

4.     Put the seasoning into the pot, and boil Garaetteoks with seasoning.

5.     When it is started to boil, put vegetables, fish cakes and a boiled egg.

6.     Boil this soup down as much as you want, and try your Tteokbokki J