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Magic Sauce Vol.01: Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cake) (Korean Recipe)

Aloha, everyone! 🌺

You guys might be curious about the title—Magic Sauce. Although it's a bit embarrassing to say my own recipe is "magical," I promise you, it truly is! Once you make a batch of this base sauce, you can create various different dishes in no time just by adding a little roasted sesame oil, ketchup, or vinegar.

My Korean blogger friends who tried this sauce told me that it was literally magical and they absolutely loved it. I hope you like this as much as Koreans do!

Let's begin with the most basic and beloved Korean street food: Tteokbokki (Dukboki).

elicious homemade Korean spicy rice cake, made with Jihye's special magic sauce.



🛒 What You Need (Ingredients)

For the Magic Sauce:

  • Gochujang (Korean Red Chili Paste): 2 Tbsp

  • Sugar: 1 Tbsp

  • Shoyu (Soy Sauce): 1 tsp

  • Minced Garlic: 1 tsp

  • Sesame Seeds: A generous sprinkle (if you have them)

💡 Chef's Golden Tip: I highly recommend making this sauce 10~15 times more than the recipe so you can store it and use it for other meals! It actually tastes much better after 24 hours of aging in the refrigerator and can be stored for up to 3 weeks.

For the Tteokbokki (Dukboki):

  • Korean Rice Cakes (Dukboki Mochi): 200g

  • Fish Cake (Flat Oden/Eomuk): 2 slices

  • Onion: 1/4 (sliced long)

  • Carrot: A few thin slices (optional, for color)

  • Cabbage: A little bit more than the onion (optional, but adds great sweetness)


👩‍🍳 How to Make It

1. Prep the Sauce & Rice Cakes Mix all the Magic Sauce ingredients together in a bowl. You may add a tablespoon of water to help loosen the Gochujang if it's too thick. Wash the rice cakes (mochi) with cold water and soak them in water for 15-20 minutes to soften.

2. Prep the Ingredients Cut the fish cakes and all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

3. Boil the Base Pour 1 cup of water into a pan, add a generous spoonful of your Magic Sauce, and bring it to a boil.

4. Simmer Together When the soup starts bubbling, turn the stove down to medium-low heat. Add the soaked rice cakes, fish cakes, and all the vegetables into the pan.

5. The Finish Line Cook gently. When the rice cakes become super soft and chewy, it's done!


🚨 4 Things to Check for Perfection!

  1. Adjust the Consistency: If the soup gets too thick, you may add several tablespoons of water (but don't pour too much at once!).

  2. Keep Stirring: Please stir it often to prevent the rice cakes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

  3. Patience is Key: You need to wait until the rice cakes become really chewy and soft. If it takes too long and the water evaporates, you can cover it with a lid to steam them.

  4. Taste Test: Check the taste of the soup. You may add more Magic Sauce if you want a stronger flavor!

🌟 The Secret of the Taste: The key to this deep flavor comes from the garlic and the fish cake. Those two things make the broth taste absolutely amazing! Also, if the Gochujang is too spicy for you, feel free to add a squeeze of ketchup to mellow it out.

 

And, please don't forget to crush a boiled egg and mix with the sauce!

Hope you enjoy the best homemade Tteokbokki!

Mahalo! 🌺


 






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