Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cake)

The most popular street food snack in Korea - Tteokbokki!  It's quite simple and you can make it at home too when you crave for something sweet and spicy with tangy chewy texture from the rice cake, yumm!! Nowadays korean rice cake comes in many different shape - long cylinder shape (most common), round shape or even heart shape!  The stock use in this dish is very important as it adds more flavor to the dish...you can use plain water but anchovy/kelp stock really "upgrade" the taste of this dish~ Have a try! ^^

 

Serving size: 2 - 3 person

 

Ingredients:

Cylinder shape rice cake                               about 25 pcs (200g)

Fried fish cake                                               2 pcs

Fried fish ball                                                6 pcs (optional)

Onion (medium size)                                     1/2 (optional)                                                        

Carrot (Medium size)                                    1/2 (optional)

Leek (medium size)                                       1 stalk

Minced garlic                                                 1/2 tbsp

Gochujang                                                      3 tbsp

Gochugaru                                                      1 tbsp

Honey                                                             2 tbsp

Soy sauce                                                       1 tbsp

Hard boil egg                                                  2

Sesame seed                                                   for garnish

Chopped spring onion                                    for garnish

 

Stock:

Anchovy                                                        10 pcs

Kelp (3cm x 3cm)                                          8 pcs                                    

Water                                                              600ml

 

Step by step photos:

 

 

1. Cut onion, carrot and leek into thin slices.
2. Cut fish cake and fish ball into bite size and prepare 2 hard boil eggs.
3. Soak the cylinder rice cake into water for 5 minutes if the rice cakes are frozen, to soften them.
4. Prepare a pot/pan with water and put in the anchovy and kelp, boil for 15 minutes over medium heat.  After 15 minutes, turn the heat to low and discard the ancovies and kelps.
5. Prepare the sauce by mixing gochujang, gochugaru, honey, soy sauce and minced garlic.
6. Add sauce mixture to the broth and keep stirring to dissolve.
7. Turn the heat to medium and add in rice cakes, sliced onion, carrots and leeks.
8. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes until the rice cakes are soft.  Keep stirring.
9. Add in fish cakes and fish balls, boil for another 2 minutes.  Keep stirring.
10. Add in the hard boiled eggs and boil (keep stiring) for another 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens and looks shiny on low heat.
11. Remove from the heat and serve on a plate.
12. Garnish with some chopped spring onion and sesame seeds. Enjoy~

 



 

Mak-Kimchi (Easy-To-Make Napa Cabbage Kimchi)

An easier and faster way of making kimchi but the taste is as good as whole napa cabbage kimchi! If you are running out of kimchi but would like to have it on your dining table as fast as possible.  This is it, easy-kimchi~

Before I start to make my own kimchi, we always bring them back from Korea when we went visiting my in law.  My mother in law kimchi is very delicious and we wouldn't miss to bring it back whenever we visit there even though they add weigh to our luggage >.<

Anyway, I always wanted to try making kimchi because I love kimchi and like how it compliments every dishes/meal, especially after having oily meal, i will crave to have a bit of kimchi!  After a couple of times trying, this is the best so far!  My husband and his friends commented that it's delicious and it makes my day! Yay! :)

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Baechu (Napa cabbage)                                                2 (total approximately 4kg)

Spring onion (Cut into ~3cm length)                            6 stalk

Chives (Cut into ~3cm length)                                      20 stalk

Radish (cut into stripes)                                                 3 cup

Carrot (cut into stripes)                                                 11/2 cup

 

Coarse Salt                                                                    3 cup

Water                                                                             about 4.5 liter

 

Kimchi Paste:

Sweet rice flour                                                            1/2 cup

Sugar                                                                            1/4 cup

Water                                                                            3 cup

 

Garlic                                                                           20 piece                                                         

Onion (Big size)                                                           1

Ginger                                                                           about thumb size

Fish sauce                                                                     1 cup

Apple (small)                                                                2

Pear                                                                               1/2

Sewujeot (Shrimp paste)                                              1/4 cup

Gochugaru (Korean pepper powder)                           11/2 cup

 

Step by step photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(After one week)

(After one week)

 

1. Trim and remove any bad parts of the napa cabbage.
2. Divide and cut the napa cabbage into quater (length wise).
3. Cut off the core.
4. Cut the napa cabbage into bite size.
5. Wash and rinse the napa cabbage twice.
6. Prepare salt and a large basin.
7. Put some cabbage into the bowl and sprinkle a handful of coarse salt.  Add another layer of cabbage and sprinkle a handful of coarse salt.  Keep repeating until the cabbage and salt are finish.
8. Add about 4.5 liter of water or more until it covers all the cabbage in the large basin.
9. Let it marinates for 3 hours.  Turn the cabbage over every hour to salt evenly.
10. After 3 hours, rinse the cabbage in water 3 times to clean thoroughly.
11. Drain the cabbage and set aside.
12. Prepare the porridge: Prepare a pot, pour 3 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sweet rice flour. Mix well and boil it over low heat.  Keep stirring until the porridge begins to have bubble.
13. Add in 1/4 cup of sugar and keep stirring over low heat.
14. Off the fire when the porridge thickens and turns translucent (the whole process took about 5 to 6 minute). Set aside and let it cool.
15. Cut the carrot, radish and chives into stripes.
16. Blend/grind garlic, onion, ginger, apple, fish sauce, shrimp paste and gochugaru.
17. Pour the blended kimchi paste into a big basin, add in carrot, radish and chives stripes.  Mix well.
18. Add the napa cabbage.
19. Mix the napa cabbage with the paste.
20. Put the kimchi into an air-tight container or best a glass jar.
21. Leave at room temperature over night and store in the fridge.
22. It will take about a week or two until it's properly fremented (The last 2 pictures shown above).  You can eat it fresh or wait until it's fremented~

*Spicyness: Adjust the level of spicy with gochugaru.  Add more if you like your kimchi spicy.