Sweet Pumpkin Tteokbokki: A Fusion Delight
Sweet Pumpkin Meets Spicy Tteokbokki: A Recipe Exploration
Imagine tender, sweet pumpkin filled with savory and spicy tteokbokki, then sprinkled with a dusting of cheese powder – a truly mouthwatering and nutritious snack! This recipe offers a delightful twist on a beloved Korean dish.
Tteokbokki Ingredients- 500g Rice cakes (tteokbokki style)
- 3 sheets of fish cake (eomuk)
- 50g Carrot (about half of a small carrot)
- 84g Onion (about half of a large onion)
- A small bunch of green onion
Tteokbokki Seasoning & Filling- 300g Broth (or water)
- 1 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup or rice syrup)
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Guk-ganjang (soup soy sauce)
- 1 mini pumpkin
- 300g Broth (or water)
- 1 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 3 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup or rice syrup)
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Guk-ganjang (soup soy sauce)
- 1 mini pumpkin
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare your tteokbokki rice cakes. If you’ve bought them fresh from a traditional market, they’re often the tastiest! If they’ve been refrigerated for a day, they might be a bit firm. Soak them in lukewarm water for about 10-20 minutes to soften them up. This step ensures the rice cakes absorb the sauce beautifully and don’t break apart during cooking. (Note: If you’re using freshly bought, still warm rice cakes, you might be able to skip this soaking step.)
Step 2
Cut the rectangular fish cakes into bite-sized pieces, about 3-4 cm in length. Uniformly cut pieces make for a more appealing presentation when the dish is complete.
Step 3
Prepare the other vegetables by cutting them into appropriate sizes. Slice the carrot about 0.5 cm thick, either into rounds or sticks. Cut the onion into strips about 1 cm wide. If your rice cakes are quite large, consider cutting them into 2 or 3 pieces, especially if serving to children, to make them easier to eat. Varying the sizes of ingredients adds interesting texture.
Step 4
Now, let’s prepare the broth, which is key to a flavorful tteokbokki. Using anchovy-kelp broth or vegetable broth will add a deeper flavor. If preparing broth from scratch isn’t feasible, you can use store-bought broth or simply plain water. Even with water, you can still create a delicious tteokbokki!
Step 5
It’s time to make the delicious tteokbokki sauce! In a bowl, combine the broth (or water) with gochujang, gochugaru, oligodang, ketchup, and guk-ganjang. Stir well until all the seasonings are smoothly blended, ensuring there are no lumps of paste.
Step 6
Pour the prepared sauce into your cooking pot. Add the softened rice cakes. Cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, allowing the rice cakes to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice cakes from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 7
Once the rice cakes have absorbed some sauce and become tender, add the carrots, which take longer to cook. Then, add the sliced fish cakes. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring with a spatula, allowing the sauce to coat all the ingredients evenly as it thickens. This helps all the elements cook through and absorb the flavor.
Step 8
When the ingredients are partially cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly, add the onion and green onions. Onions cook quickly, so adding them later prevents them from becoming mushy. Green onions add a fresh aroma, so adding them towards the end is best. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until everything is harmoniously cooked.
Step 9
Now, it’s time to prepare the special star of our dish: the pumpkin! Wash the mini pumpkin thoroughly. Microwave it for about 3 minutes to cook it until tender inside. (Cooking time may vary depending on your microwave and the size of the pumpkin.) Microwaving it first makes it much easier to scoop out the insides later.
Step 10
Carefully cut off the top of the microwaved pumpkin like a lid. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp from the inside, creating a hollow space. Be gentle to avoid damaging the pumpkin’s shape.
Step 11
Mini pumpkins can have quite a few seeds inside! Once all the seeds are removed, you’ll have a charming pumpkin bowl. Isn’t its shape lovely? This edible bowl adds a special touch to the presentation.
Step 12
Finally, fill the hollowed-out pumpkin with the delicious, spicy-sweet tteokbokki. For an extra touch, you can add some torn string cheese, a sprinkle of savory Parmesan cheese powder, and a dash of aromatic parsley flakes. Behold, your beautiful Pumpkin Tteokbokki is ready! Enjoy this visually stunning and incredibly tasty unique snack.
