Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

Method

1. If the rice cakes are hard, soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to soften (soft ones can be used straight away). Cut the fish cakes into bite-size triangles, the cabbage into 3 cm pieces, the onion into 1 cm strips and the green onion diagonally into 4 cm lengths. Pull the heads and dark guts off the anchovies. In a small bowl, mix the gochujang, chili flakes, sugar, syrup, soy sauce and garlic to make the sauce.

   Add in this stepGochujang (Korean chili paste) 2½ tbspKorean chili flakes (gochugaru) 1 tbspSugar 1 tbspRice syrup or corn syrup 1 tbspSoy sauce 1 tbspMinced garlic 1 tsp

2. Fill a small 16 cm pot with enough water to cover the eggs and bring to a boil over high heat, about 5 min. Gently lower in the eggs with a ladle, turn down to medium heat and cook for 10 min, then cool in cold water and peel. Make 2 or 3 shallow cuts in each egg so the sauce can soak in.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   high heat→medium heat

3. Put the water, anchovies and kombu in a wide 24 cm pan (or shallow pot) and bring to a boil over high heat, about 4 min. Once boiling, turn down to medium heat, simmer for 5 min, then lift out the anchovies and kombu.

   Add in this stepWater 450 mlLarge dried anchovies (for stock) 8Kombu (5 × 5 cm pieces) 1

   high heat→medium heat

4. Stir the sauce into the broth, add the rice cakes and onion and cook over medium-high heat for 5 min, stirring often so the rice cakes don't stick to the bottom. Move on when the rice cakes have puffed up and softened and the sauce starts to thicken.

   Add in this stepKorean rice cake sticks for tteokbokki 300 gOnion 50 g

   medium-high heat

5. Add the fish cakes, cabbage and boiled eggs and cook over medium heat for another 3 min, rolling the eggs around to coat them in sauce.

   Add in this stepKorean fish cake sheets (eomuk) 100 gCabbage 100 g

   medium heat

6. Add the green onion and cook over medium heat for 1 min, until the sauce has reduced enough to cling glossily to the rice cakes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. If it gets too thick, loosen with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water.

   Add in this stepLarge green onion (or leek) 1Toasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

   medium heat