Tteokbokki/Ddeokbokki 떡볶이

Tteokbokki (dokbokki) is a Korean rice cake snack commonly found at Pojangmacha (small tented streetside stalls in South Korea). Our local foodcourts have it as well but the one sold in the Kopitiam in Yew Tee, only has rice cakes, onions and nothing else. One plate for $4...The ones sold by Dongdaemun franchise found in shopping malls are also quite nice with fish cake slices and some vege, but rather spicy.

Thought of cooking this at home, so bought back the ingredients. Basic stuffs include rice cake (duh!), fish cake and gochujang (hot sauce paste made out of chili, glutinous rice, fermented soy beans and salt).

gochujang

there are two types and this one is the milder version

rice cakes

fish cakes

Once the basic ingredients are there, then basically you can add anything else that you like to eat. Other ingredients included large onions, spring onions, vegetables, little bit of fish sauce and for that extra something in the soup, I added clams.

Wash, clean and cut up onions, vegetables and fish cakes.

butter, onions and vegetables

clams

fish cakes slices and rice cakes

Once everything is prepared, then it's time to start cooking!

one pot cooks all

Sauté the onions with the butter (I don't have oil for frying in my house.... hahaa). Then let it caramelised a little before pouring water into the pot. How much water? Hmmm, enough to cook the rest of the stuff? Hahaa, didn't really measure so just go with gut feel! =P

Then add 2 large tablespoon of gochujang and dissolve it into the bubbling water with the onions. Add in the vegetables and spring onions and cook till soft. Then add in the clams, fish cakes and rice cakes. Cook till rice cakes are softer but still chewy, or whichever your preference is. When it's almost ready, just add a dash of fish sauce for taste.