Ryu Sooyoung’s Lifetime Tteokbokki: Sweet & Spicy Golden Ratio Recipe
Irresistibly Sweet and Spicy! Made Ryu Sooyoung’s Lifetime Tteokbokki Sauce with Pulmuone Mill-tteok (Rice Cakes) – A Genuine Review.
Craving a spicy tteokbokki lately, I scoured recipes and discovered Ryu Sooyoung’s ‘Lifetime Tteokbokki Sauce.’ While I’m familiar with Baek Jong-won’s recipes, Ryu Sooyoung’s supposedly unforgettable golden ratio sauce intrigued me, so I decided to try it immediately. Enjoy this fantastic tteokbokki with Pulmuone mill-tteok!
Tteokbokki Ingredients- 500g Pulmuone Mill-tteok (for Tteokbokki)
- 4 sheets of square fish cakes
- 1 stalk of green onion
- 1 Tbsp sugar (for base seasoning)
- 1/3 Tbsp coarse salt (for base seasoning)
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic (for base seasoning)
- 600ml water
Ryu Sooyoung’s Lifetime Tteokbokki Sauce- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp black pepper (or 20 grinds of whole black pepper)
- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp black pepper (or 20 grinds of whole black pepper)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s make the tteokbokki sauce! Ryu Sooyoung measured with an adult’s tablespoon. In a bowl, combine 4 Tbsp gochugaru, 3 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 Tbsp gochujang, and 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Add 20 grinds of whole black pepper or 1 tsp of ground black pepper. It’s best to add the dry ingredients first, followed by liquids and then solids, mixing well to create a delicious sauce base!
Step 2
Now, prepare the pan for cooking the tteokbokki. Once the pan is preheated, lay the green onion, cut into 5cm pieces, at the bottom. Then, cut the 4 fish cakes into your preferred shapes (triangles are recommended) and arrange them on top. Add 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/3 Tbsp coarse salt, and 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic for the basic seasoning of the tteokbokki.
Step 3
Pour 600ml of water over the prepared ingredients. Cover with a lid and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Let it simmer thoroughly to allow the ingredients to infuse their flavors.
Step 4
I’m using Pulmuone mill-tteok for this tteokbokki. I happily took them out from the freezer! Pulmuone mill-tteok are thin, so they absorb the sauce beautifully, and they maintain a chewy texture even when the tteokbokki cools down, which is wonderful.
Step 5
Once the water is boiling vigorously, prepare to add the tteokbokki rice cakes. It’s best to rinse the rice cakes lightly under cold water before adding them. This prevents them from sticking together and results in a cleaner tteokbokki.
Step 6
Add the rinsed mill-tteok to the boiling broth and immediately cover the pan again. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 1-2 minutes until the rice cakes soften. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become too mushy.
Step 7
Now it’s time to add the pre-made sauce. Set aside about 1 Tbsp of the tteokbokki sauce to adjust the seasoning later. Add the remaining sauce to the broth and mix well, ensuring it coats the rice cakes and fish cakes. (Tip: The reserved sauce can be added later if needed based on your taste. Personally, I found it perfectly seasoned without adding more!)
Step 8
Remove the lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer and thicken for about 4 minutes. During this process, the sauce will deeply penetrate the rice cakes and fish cakes, creating a richer flavor. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Step 9
Ta-da! The delicious tteokbokki made with Ryu Sooyoung’s ‘Lifetime Tteokbokki’ sauce is complete. The sweet and spicy aroma is making my mouth water. It’s time to enjoy!
