Korean Recipe: Delicious Ddukbokki 떡복이

안녕하세오! Today I will be sharing with you my personal tried-and-true recipe for ddukbokki, or spicy and sweet Korean rice cake.

 Doesn't it look absolutely delicious?

I made this dish on Thanksgiving to share with my relatives, so it's not as red and spicy as I would normally like. However, the savory sweetness helps make up for the spicy kick if you're not into spicy foods.

What you'll need (for about 4 people):

• 1 package of Korean rice cake (you can find this at any asian supermarket, fresh dduks are the most delicious)
• Gochujang, or Korean red pepper paste
• Garlic
• Odeng, or Korean fish cake
• Honey
• Chicken broth (canned is fine)
• Sugar (I personally like using stevia sweetener to cut down on sugar)
• Water
• Flat and large nonstick pan

Optional but recommended

• Beef
• Kimchi
• Mushrooms
• Ramen
• Green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare rice cake according to package. Usually, you only need to rinse them in cold water.
2. *Optional* Stir fry thin slices of beef in a little oil over high heat until mostly cooked
3. Pour about 3-3.5 cups of water into the pan. Then pour about 1/4 of the canned chicken broth.
4. Add minced or finely cut garlic and plenty of kimchi.
5. Slowly stir in about 1-2 tablespoons of the red pepper paste. This should be pretty mild–if you want spicier ddukbokki, you can add more now or later.
6. Stir in 3 tablespoons of honey. You can add to the sweetness later.
7. Once everything is dissolved in the sauce, slowly place the rice cakes in the sauce. The sauce will thicken and be absorbed as the rice cakes cook. Stir consistently to prevent sticking. If the level water is below half the height of the rice cakes, add more water until the level is 3/4 of the rice cakes' height.
8. Add any veggies and fish cake and stir well to coat them in the sauce.
9. If you wish to add ramen, be sure to break it into chunks before placing in the pan.
10. Once the rice cakes are soft and beginning to stick to the pan, taste the sauce. You can add sugar until it is distinctively sweet, and pepper paste or flakes until it is satisfyingly spicy. Also, add more chicken broth if it is not salty enough. If the sauce becomes too thick and the rice cakes stick a lot more to the sides, you can add a little water to continue cooking.
11. Once the taste of the sauce is satisfying and the rice cakes are soft and sticky, turn off the heat.
12. Pour the mixture into a bowl or plate and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
13. Serve immediately. If the rice cakes become cool and dry, reheat over the stove and add a little water.

Enjoy! Please let me know how this recipe works for you! Feel free to substitute and experiment with ingredients.

Happy cooking~
K.x