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Today’s recipe is on-the-spot tteokbokki (jeukseok-tteokbokki: 즉석떡볶이). I assume by this point everyone here knows what tteokbokki is. If you don’t know, you can check out my spicy rice cake recipe here. That kind of tteokbokki is popular Korean street food, but today’s jeukseok-tteokbokki is more of a spicy, bubbling stew that you cook and eat while sitting at a table in a restaurant with 2 to 4 people. They bring a pan piled up with ingredients and broth and boil it right there on the table. Everything is precooked so it doesn’t take very long and it’s not difficult to do. Everyone at the table can talk, cook, drink and eat together while it’s bubbling which is why this is such a popular dish in Korea. When the weather gets cold it’s a great way to share food with friends and family and have a good time.

Of course it’s not just for restaurants, we can make it at home, too! The interesting thing about this recipe is that not only is it spicy from Korean gochujang and gochu-garu (Korean hot pepper flakes), it also uses black bean paste (chunjang) which is the main ingredient in jjajangmyeon. The chunjang gives it a bit of saltiness and savoriness, and also makes the stew a little dark. I also use the flavor packet from a package of Korean instant ramyeon. You can use anchovy kelp stock or vegetarian stock for the broth instead of water, but I tried both and there’s so much flavor in the other ingredients that I couldn’t taste much difference between the two broths. I just use water to keep it simple. In Korean restaurants they always use fried mandu (Korean dumplings). I wanted to make it a little healthier so I added homemade raw mandu but they broke apart pretty quickly in the stew, so I realized why Korean restaurants fry theirs first.

The most important ingredient in this recipe is the garaeteok (long and thin rice cakes). I strongly recommend you use fresh rice cakes if you can get them. You can make your own from my recipe or buy them fresh in some Korean grocery stores. If you can’t get freshly made then frozen is ok but be sure to check the rice cakes through the package and see if there is any dried, flaky rice powder on the surface of the cakes. Don’t buy those because it means they are a little old and dried out, and will crack when you cook them. Ever since I posted my garaettok recipe I’ve been asked many questions, most of them are about split rice cakes. If you make homemade or use freshly made rice cakes wrap the leftovers tightly, refrigerate, and then use them in 2 weeks. Have a party with family and friends, a jeukseok-tteokbokki party! Send us a photo if you want!

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the sauce:

In the pan:

  • 8 ounces cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 ounces onion, sliced
  • 2 dae-pa (large green onion), or 6 green onions, cut into 2 inch long pieces
  • A few strips (about 1 ounce) of carrot (optional)
  • 4 ounces dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles), soaked in cold water for 40 minutes to 1 hour, and drained
  • 12 ounces garaetteok (tube-shaped rice cake) fresh, frozen, or homemade
  • 2 sheets (80 grams) of eomuk (fish cakes), cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 sausage, cut into 4 pieces (optional)
  • Uncooked noodles from 1 package of Korean ramyeon (instant noodles)
  • 4 fried mandu dumplings (optional)
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
  • 5 cups water
  • 4 slices of provolone cheese, or mozzarella (optional)

tteokbokki ingredients

For the stir-fried rice (bokkeumbap):

On the side

Directions

Make sauce:

  1. Combine garlic, soup powder, gochu-garu, gochujang, chunjang, sugar, and water in a medium bowl.
  2. Mix well and set aside.tteokbokki sauce

Fill the pan with the ingredients:

  1. In a wide pan or skillet, add the cabbage, onion, half of the green onion, and carrot (if used).on-the-spot tteokbokki
  2. Add the starch noodles, rice cake, fish cakes, and sausage (if used).
  3. Add the sauce and place the ramyeon noodles on top of the sauce.on-the-spot tteokbokki
  4. Add fried mandu (if used) and eggs.
  5. Sprinkle the rest of the green onion over top.
  6. Add water (or anchovy kelp stock or vegetable stock)preparing jeukseok-tteokbokki

Cook & serve:

  1. Set 4 individual bowls or plate on the table along with forks, chopsticks, spoons, napkins, and a bowl of danmuji (if used).
  2. Place the pan on the gas burner at the table. Turn on the heat to high heat. When it starts boiling about 8 minutes later, add the cheese (if used). Carefully stir with a large spoon so that all the ingredients are evenly cooked.tteokbokki cheeseJeukseok-tteokbokki
  3. Ladle an egg into each individual bowl along with a little broth. Occasionally stir the stew and also ladle some rice cake, cheese, noodles, fish cakes, vegetables, and ramyeon into the individual bowls. Cook, eat, and enjoy having fun talking to each other! You can reduce the heat to low to keep the broth from boiling down.tteokbokki stew

Make bokkeumbap (stir-fried rice):

  1. When you get close to the bottom of the pan, you can make stir-fried rice with the everything there. Add the rice and stir-fry with the ingredients and broth at the bottom of the pan.tteokbokki bokkeumbap
  2. Finish it off with the shredded gim, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.bokkeumbap
  3. Remove from the heat and serve by adding some stir fried rice to everyone’s bowl.

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5 Comments:

  1. Kris1414 United States joined 10/22 & has 1 comment

    I’ve made this once as written and it was absolutely delicious! I made it again this evening and doubled the sauce because it is so delicious! Thank you Maangchi for another amazing recipe! I made your chicken mandu and tuna gimbap yesterday. You’ve given me confidence to cook Korean food and my husband loves it. My Korean grandma is so impressed that I picked up Korean cooking and cooking with ingredients that I’ve never cooked with before. Xoxo!

  2. johnhele72 GuildFord, united Kingdom joined 10/22 & has 1 comment

    This looks so good! I LOVE Korean food and the spicier the better. I wish you would come to Hawaii so you can cook for me :)

  3. amberh Colorado USA joined 7/22 & has 9 comments

    Thank you for the contest opportunity! And for showing the contents :) I’ve been trying to get my siblings to try Korean cooking and I think the communal fun aspect of this jeukseok tteokbokki might just be the perfect intro. I will try to make my own gift boxes to send them!

    Are there other “jeukseok” recipes like this too?

    Take care dear Maangchi :)

  4. blksands United States joined 10/22 & has 1 comment

    This looks so good! I LOVE Korean food and the spicier the better. I wish you would come to Hawaii so you can cook for me :)

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