Ddukboki
One of my go-to dishes to order at Korean restaurants; when prepared well the rice cakes are chewy and bouncy, and the dish is spicy, sweet, savory, and intensely flavorful. This is a very baseline ddukboki recipe; feel free to extend it depending on the side ingredients you prefer. The rice cake itself also goes in various Korean soups / stews quite well.
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Ingredients
> ddukboki (1 lb)
> dashi (2.5 cups)
> gochujang (1/4 cup)
> gochugaru (2 tsp)
> sugar (1 tbsp)
> sesame oil (1 tbsp)
> green onions, thinly sliced
> sesame seeds
> (optional) fish cake, onion, carrot
Instructions
1. Soak the ddukboki in warm water for at least 10 minutes before cooking.
2. In a pan, mix together dashi, gochujang, gochugaru and sugar and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the rice cake. Optionally, add fish cake, thinly sliced onion, and thinly sliced carrot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently.
4. Add sesame oil and mix together. Remove from serving vessel, top with scallions, sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> The sauce should be thick once the rice cake is cooked. You may need to adjust the amount of dashi depending on the shape of your pan and how water-absorbent your ddukboki are.
> Unless you like it really spicy, try to find a gochujang that isn't too spicy. Otherwise, you'll either have an overly spicy dish or an under-flavored dish.
> Ddukboki is commonly served with a variety of other side components, including fish cake, onion, carrot, and even ramen. Most side components you'll probably want to add with the rice cake, but things like ramen you may want to pre-cook and add at the end.