This Homemade Tteok-bokki Recipe is a non – traditional Korean dish and basically is just my improvised recipe. The traditional Tteok-bokki recipe uses cylindrical shape rice cake but it’s not available in our local grocery so I substitute tikoy or nian gao. Tikoy or nian gao is also a rice cake but more on the sweeter side. Anyway, just use what’s available, right?
Also, the broth used for the traditional recipe uses anchovies and kelps. Anchovies are easier to find but the kelp, I don’t think you can find it in your local grocery stores. So, what I have in the fridge is a good bottle of crab paste or aligue. It is basically crab fat. Fat means flavor right?
I went to the grocery and found some oddly looking seafood balls and cakes. They are not your typical fish balls, squid balls and chicken balls. Let’s say, the one I bought are more of the higher quality.
So, why am I so interested with tteok – bokki? Well, everytime I watch travel vlogs exploring Korea, they always show this red orange soupy street food. It just look so spicy and so appetizing. So, I decided to make this dish today. My parents are out and I’m alone and I love spicy food. So, I must try it now.
Tips
For my homemade Tteok-bokki recipe I opt in using crab paste instead of the anchovies and kelp combination since this is readily available in our pantry. At the same time, this might has the umami and seafood flavor that the anchovies and kelp has.
I think you can use any kind of seafood cakes or balls available in your grocery. You can also use meat if you want. I can imagine the sauce really goes well with thinly sliced beef and bacon cut pork barbecue.
I also used tikoy or nian gao since it’s available in our grocery but if you can find the traditional rice cake, that would be good. Tikoy or nian gao is so soft when cooked compared to the much firmer rice cake, that is, based on what I watched.
For more rice dishes check out my Rice Recipes. For the traditional recipe check out Maangchi’s Hot and Spicy Rice Cake recipe. She’s a Korean so I bet it’s the good stuff.
Ingredients
| 1 1/2 cups | Water |
| 1 Tablespoon | Crab Paste or Aligue |
| 2 Tablespoons | Gochujang or Korean Chili Paste |
| 1 Tablespoon | Sugar |
| 5 pieces | Tikoy, sliced into 1cm thick and 1in by 3 in long |
| 1 stalk | Onion Leeks, cut into 3 inches long |
| 5 pieces | Lobster Balls |
| 5 pieces | Salmon Twists |
| 5 pieces | Fish Tofu |
| 6 pieces | Crab Sticks |
| Salt to Taste | |
| Korean Red Pepper Powder |
Procedure
Bring water into simmer.
Add crab paste, gochujang and sugar. Mix until ingredients are fully incorporated. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add tikoy, onion leeks, lobster balls, salmon twists, fish tofu and crab sticks. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat or until the sauce thickens.
Season with salt to taste and Korean Red Pepper Powder of extra kick.
Homemade Tteok – bokki Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 1 Tablespoon Crab Paste or Aligue Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Gochujang or Korean Chili Paste
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 5 pieces Tikoy, sliced into 1cm thick and 1in by 3in long
- 1 stalk Onion Leek, cut into 3 inches long
- 5 pieces Lobster Balls
- 5 pieces Salmon Twists
- 5 pieces Fish Tofu
- 6 pieces Crab Sticks
- Salt to taste
- Korean Red Pepper Powder
Instructions
- Bring water into simmer.
- Add crab paste, gochujang and sugar. Mix until ingredients are fully incorporated. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add tikoy, onion leeks, lobster balls, salmon twists, fish tofu and crab sticks. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat or until the sauce thickens.
- Season with salt to taste and Korean Red Pepper Powder of extra kick.
My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.