Pan-fried spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki)

The flavour is intensified after frying and the crispy–chewy rice cake is utterly satisfying, especially on a cold day.

Tteokbokki is a classic Seoul street snack. Credit: Billy Law

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) packet frozen Korean tubular rice cakes (garaetteok)
• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Korean chilli flakes (gochugaru)
• 70 g (2½ oz/¼ cup) Korean chilli paste (gochujang)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 spring onion (scallion), thinly sliced
• pinch of toasted sesame seeds

Marinating time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over medium–high heat. Add the rice cakes and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Drain, then transfer the rice cakes to a large bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix well to stop them sticking together, then set aside.
2. Combine the garlic, chilli flakes, chilli paste, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper in a small bowl, and mix well. Pour over the rice cakes and stir until they are well coated in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat. Working in small batches, fry the rice cakes for 2–3 minutes until they are crispy and slightly charred. Turn the rice cakes frequently so they don’t stick to the pan. Toss in the spring onion and sesame seeds, give it a quick stir, then dish up.

 

Recipe and images from Little Korea: Iconic Dishes and Cult Recipes by Billy Law, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.