Ddukbokki is seriously such an addicting, everyday Korean dish. I actually consider it a snack! In South Korea, they sell these amazing little pillows of glory in famous street vendors and markets. I aim to travel there one day and try it firsthand, as I’ve sadly never been to Korea yet in my life. Nevertheless, my goal for this Ddukbokki post is to make it as simple and as top-notch as possible (without the added fancy schmancy ingredients). Let’s get it!
Ddukbokki or “떡볶이” is a spicy Korean rice cake dish that is comprised mainly of rice cakes, fish cakes, and green cabbage in a rich and savory sauce. The sauce contains a bunch of Korean spice and aromatic staples, like garlic, mirin, soy sauce, gochujang, and more. It also typically starts with a dashi-anchovy broth as the base or the vehicle, if you will (similar to the broth used in Sujebi or Kimchi Jjigae).
So if you want to think of this as a chemical reaction, it would be described as a thick/spicy gochujang paste dissolved in a rich/umami broth and thickened by the starch from the rice cakes, resulting in the ultimate sauce for ddukbokki. You can also add some boiled eggs & sesame seeds/roasted seaweed on top for optional garnishes that really pairs well with the rice cakes.
I’m so lucky that my mom and grandma always made this dish for us when we were younger. Ddukbokki was always such a fast and easy dish that was made in less than 30 minutes that you can enjoy as a side dish or even as a stand-alone entree. There are SO many variations, depending on who you ask and what ingredients they like. The possibilities are literally endless. I feel like there’s definitely more variations that are just waiting to be discovered. But until then, let’s cook up this bad boy.
Sauce
Gochujang paste – gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic and honey
Dashi-Anchovy stock – provides rich, umami flavor
Ddukbokki
Rice Cakes – main starch component
Green Cabbage – Provides texture and vegetable component
Fish Cakes – Use Eomuk sheets “어묵” (comes frozen so you have to thaw it out first)
Boiled Eggs – Optional
Scallion – for garnish & adds freshness
Sesame Seeds – for garnish & toasty flavor (optional)
Furikake topping – for garnish (adds balance of color, optional)
- You can make the dashi-anchovy stock ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to cook.
- Eat immediately after finishing the recipe for the optimal taste, as the rice cakes quickly tend to get soggy and no one likes that.
- If you want to keep leftovers, store it in an airtight container for up to 2 days max. When reheating, add a little bit of water.
- Depending on everyone’s spice level tolerance, you can adjust the amount of gochujang and gochugaru you put into the sauce.
- If you ever run into the problem of it being too spicy, you can simply add a little more stock and a little more sugar to your liking. You can even add a little bit of cream or cheese to counteract the spiciness.
Easy Ddukbokki (떡볶이) – Spicy Korean Rice Cakes
You must try this perfectly soft and chewy ddukbokki recipe! It’s so simple to follow and will take you to a state of nirvana!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (8 oz) rice cakes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 oz green cabbage, chopped into small chunks
- 1 Eomuk fish cake sheet (~2 oz), chopped into small pieces
- 3 cups water
- 1 kelp square
- 6 dried anchovies, guts removed
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp gochujang (for mild spice level)
- 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 tbsp honey (may substitute with oligodang)
- 1 stalk scallion, chopped for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
- Furikake seasoning, for garnish (optional)
- 2 boiled eggs (optional)
Instructions
First, thaw out your rice cakes & fish cake sheets (if using frozen). Soak your rice cakes in cold water (skip this step if using freshly made garaetteok). Note: We only need about 1/2 lb of rice cakes and 1 sheet of fish cake. If you’re using freshly made garaetteok like me, go ahead and cut your rice cake into smaller pieces (however you’d like them to be) and set aside.
In a large wok or sauté pan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil with your kelp & dried anchovies in a pouch. Boil for 10 minutes on med-high heat while you prep your other ingredients (Note: if you’re planning to add boiled eggs, you can start making them now).
In a small mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tsp gochugaru, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp honey, and 3 cloves minced garlic and give it a nice mix to form your sauce. Once the water is boiling, you can go ahead and add the sauce into the wok and stir.
On a cutting board, rinse & chop your green cabbage in half. Then, cut it in half lengthwise again (we only need about 4 oz so you can save the rest for another time). Finally, roughly chop up your cabbage into small bite-sized chunks (see “ingredients” picture for reference).
Chop your fish cake sheet in half (lengthwise), then chop them into small pieces however you’d like (I always like to cut mine into small rectangles first & then cut them once diagonally down the middle to create small right triangles).
Now, add your rice cakes, green cabbage, and fish cakes to the wok and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. Let it cook for about 5-10 minutes. Check on the texture of your rice cakes. You want it to be nice and soft & chewy (not soggy, and not hard). If it’s still too hard, add a little bit of water and continue to stir until soft. (If you’re using fresh garaetteok, this process will be quicker than if you’re using frozen or refrigerated tteok)
(Optional: Peel and add your boiled eggs in at the last 5 minutes of cooking time to soak up the sauce). Thinly chop your scallions on a diagonal for garnish.
Once your rice cakes are cooked perfectly, turn off the heat, add your chopped scallions, plate, top with sesame seeds (optional) and furikake seasoning (optional) and enjoy!
Please let me know what you think in the comments section below. And don’t forget to tag me on instagram @yangyummm when you share your finished product!
Thank you! See you next time.
