AI-generated image
Gungjung tteokbokki
궁중떡볶이 · Royal-court rice cakes stir-fried in soy and sesame with mushrooms and vegetables, no chilli
Long before red gochujang tteokbokki took over Seoul's street stalls, the Joseon palace kitchens served gungjung tteokbokki (궁중떡볶이): chewy cylinders of rice cake tossed in a glossy soy and sesame glaze with mushrooms, peppers and onion. It is mild, savoury-sweet and fragrant with toasted sesame, which makes it the version Korean parents cook for children and for anyone who can't take heat. The court recipe used beef; shiitake and oyster mushrooms carry the same savoury depth here. Eat it warm as a snack or alongside rice and kimchi. Chef's tip: soften the rice cakes in hot water before they meet the pan, or the outsides scorch while the centres stay hard.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the rice cakes
For the sauce
For the stir-fry
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 10 ½ oz garaetteok (cylinder rice cakes) in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave for 5 minutes (10 if frozen) until they bend easily when squeezed, then drain and toss with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil so they don't stick together.
5 minStep 2: Stir 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 2 cloves garlic, 4 tbsp water and ¼ tsp ground black pepper together in a cup until the sugar dissolves.
Step 3: Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms and 2 ⅞ oz oyster mushrooms and fry for 3 minutes without stirring too much, until they shrink and brown at the edges and smell nutty.
3 minStep 4: Add ½ onion and ½ carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the onion turns glossy and slightly translucent.
2 minStep 5: Add the rice cakes and pour in the sauce. Turn the heat to medium and keep tossing for 3–4 minutes, until the liquid reduces to a sticky glaze that coats each piece and the rice cakes look shiny and lightly browned in spots.
4 minStep 6: Add ½ red pepper, ½ green pepper and 2 spring onions and toss for 1 minute, just until the peppers turn bright; they should keep their crunch.
1 minStep 7: Take the pan off the heat, drizzle with 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and scatter over 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds. Serve straight away: rice cakes firm up as they cool. A common mistake is letting the dish sit before serving; reheat leftovers with a splash of water rather than eating them cold and hard.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 85 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gungjung tteokbokki take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of toasted sesame oil?
- Toasted sesame seeds ground with a little vegetable oil.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Coastal Mombasa mix
A Mombasa street-food bowl: chickpeas and potato simmered in coconut milk with raw mango and chilli, ladled into small bowls and topped with crisp lentil fritters, crunchy chevdo and red, green and tamarind chutneys. Make the fritters and chevdo ahead and assemble at the table. It's sweet, sour, hot and crunchy all at once.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, 'grilled as you like it') is the pride of Osaka, where it's cooked on hot iron griddles in lively restaurants. Finely shredded cabbage is folded into a light batter with egg and spring onion, then fried into a thick, soft pancake with a crisp outside. It's painted with a fruity brown sauce and zigzagged with mayonnaise. Bonito flakes are usual on top; this vegetarian version uses seaweed flakes and pickled ginger instead. Chef's tip: don't press the pancake down with your spatula while it cooks. Osaka cooks leave it alone so the cabbage steams inside and stays light and fluffy; pressing squeezes out the air.
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
