Tteok-Kkochi
떡꼬치·(tteok-kkochi)
Bunsikjip After School: 3 PM Street Snacks
Three p.m. outside the bunsikjib, hungry kids clutching crumpled bills, vendors threading thick rice cakes onto bamboo skewers, the smell of gochujang and ketchup bubbling in a pan. Tteok-kkochi is all about texture, demanding a blistered crust that yields to an interior that stays melted and fiercely chewy. The secret to that glossy lacquer is a generous dose of everyday ketchup and sticky syrup. Fry them until the rice cakes blister, paint them heavy, and eat them straight off the wood.
Before you start
Soften the rice cakes before you begin.
If your rice cakes are vacuum-sealed, hard, or straight out of the freezer, drop them into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until pliable, then drain and rinse under cold water.
Ingredients
- tteokbokki-tteok (cylinder rice cakes)1 lb
- neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
- ketchup3 tbsp
- light corn syrup or oligodang2 tbsp
- gochujang1 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- soy sauce1 tbsp
- garlic1/2 tbsp
- water1 tbsp
- toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Thread the softened, completely dry rice cakes onto wooden skewers.
Aim for four to five rice cakes per stick, pushing them tightly together into a little raft.
- 02
Whisk the glaze ingredients together.
In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, corn syrup, gochujang, sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and water.
- 03
Shallow-fry the skewers until blistered.
Heat the neutral oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, frying the skewers for 1 to 2 minutes per side until they puff slightly and form a light golden crust. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- 04
Simmer the sauce and paint the skewers.
Wipe the remaining hot oil from the skillet and lower the heat to medium-low. Pour in the sauce, let it bubble for 10 to 20 seconds until glossy, then turn off the heat and generously paint the thick glaze over both sides of the skewers.
Notes
Skip the skewers on a busy weeknight.
Threading sticky rice cakes onto wooden sticks is a chore you can absolutely skip. Toss the loose, dried rice cakes directly into the oil, fry until blistered, pour the sauce over them in the pan, and toss rapidly off the heat.
Water and hot oil equal danger.
You must pat the blanched rice cakes completely dry with a paper towel before frying. Any residual water hitting the hot oil will cause the rice cakes to violently pop and splatter.
From Cook Korean in America.