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Omegi tteok
Millet rice cakes with red bean
오메기떡 · Jeju millet rice cakes with mugwort, filled and rolled in red bean
Omegi tteok (오메기떡) are Jeju's best-known rice cakes: small dark-green rounds of glutinous millet and rice dough flavoured with mugwort, filled with sweet red bean, and rolled in a coat of mashed red beans or toasted nuts. Jeju farmers grew millet on fields too stony for rice, and the dough was once fermented into omegi-sul, the island's rice wine. Now they are bought in boxes at Seogwipo's Olle market as the island's favourite gift, kept in the freezer and thawed for tea time. Chef's tip: knead the dough with boiling water while it is still hot; mugwort and millet need the heat to bind into a smooth, stretchy dough.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 5 ½ oz glutinous rice flour
- 1 tbsp mugwort powder (ssuk garu)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup boiling wateryou may need a little more
For the filling and coating
- 5 ½ oz sweetened smooth red bean pastefor the filling
- 9 oz sweetened coarse red bean paste (tongpat)for the coating
- 2 tbsp pine nuts or chopped walnuts (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Mix 3 ½ oz sticky millet powder (chal-gijang garu), 5 ½ oz glutinous rice flour, 1 tbsp mugwort powder (ssuk garu), 2 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in ¾ cup boiling water little by little, stirring with a spoon, then knead as soon as you can handle it. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, evenly green and feels like soft earlobe.
6 minStep 2: Divide 5 ½ oz sweetened smooth red bean paste into 18 small balls. Divide the dough into 18 pieces.
Step 3: Flatten each piece of dough into a 6 cm round, set a ball of paste in the middle, close it up and roll it into a ball. Press gently with your thumb to make a shallow dip in the top, as Jeju bakers do.
Step 4: Bring a large pan of water to the boil and drop in the cakes. When they float, keep them bubbling gently for 2 minutes more. They should look darker and slightly glossy.
8 minStep 5: Lift them into cold water for 30 seconds, then drain on a lightly oiled plate.
1 minStep 6: Roll each cake in 9 oz sweetened coarse red bean paste (tongpat) so it is thickly coated, and press a few 2 tbsp pine nuts or chopped walnuts on top. A common mistake is coating them while they are still dripping wet: let them drain for a minute or the coating slides off.
Step 7: Eat the same day at room temperature, or freeze them in a single layer. Thaw at room temperature for 1–2 hours; don't microwave, as the coating dries out.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does omegi tteok take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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