Sweet & Sour Ham and Rice Cake Skewers
A Deliciously Tangy Ham & Rice Cake Skewer Recipe Kids Will Absolutely Love!
Lately, I’ve been having so much fun making nostalgic snacks! It brings back sweet memories of eating snacks with friends during my school days, and seeing my kids enjoy them makes the cooking process even more delightful. This time, I decided to make ‘Tteokkochi,’ a popular snack from my school days. Instead of buying them from outside, let’s make them at home – healthy, simple, and inexpensive! These skewers combine chewy rice cakes and savory ham with a delightful sweet and sour sauce, perfect for a fun treat.
Main Ingredients- Rice cakes (for Tteokbokki)
- Sliced ham (or Vienna sausages)
- Wooden skewers
Special Sauce- 2 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1.5 Tbsp Corn syrup (or Oligosaccharide)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 0.5 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Cooking oil
- 0.5 Tbsp Minced garlic
- Pinch of Black pepper
- 0.5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) (optional)
- 2 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1.5 Tbsp Corn syrup (or Oligosaccharide)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 0.5 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Cooking oil
- 0.5 Tbsp Minced garlic
- Pinch of Black pepper
- 0.5 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) (optional)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients for delicious ham and rice cake skewers. Using rice cakes meant for Tteokbokki will give you a wonderfully chewy texture. For the ham, cut it into bite-sized pieces suitable for children, or you can use long Vienna sausages.
Step 2
Get your rice cakes and ham ready. Use Tteokbokki-style rice cakes or long ones, and cut the ham into child-friendly pieces. If using Vienna sausages, making a few shallow cuts will make them look even more appealing as they cook.
Step 3
To ensure a perfectly chewy texture, soak the rice cakes in cold water for about 3 to 5 minutes. This softens them just enough, allowing them to absorb the sauce beautifully and providing a satisfying chew.
Step 4
Lightly blanch the soaked rice cakes in boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes. It’s crucial to cook them only until they become soft and pliable. Be careful not to overcook, as they might become mushy!
Step 5
Immediately rinse the blanched rice cakes under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down. Rinsing in cold water prevents them from sticking together and enhances their chewy texture – it’s a key secret!
Step 6
Make attractive cuts on the sausages or ham. Scoring the ham in a criss-cross pattern allows it to open up prettily as it cooks and helps the sauce penetrate better, making it taste even more delicious.
Step 7
Now, it’s time to stir-fry! Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a frying pan. Add the prepared rice cakes and ham, and stir-fry until they are lightly golden brown. Cook until the ham releases a savory aroma and the rice cakes become slightly chewy.
Step 8
You’ll start to hear the delightful sizzling sound of the ham cooking and smell its savory aroma filling the kitchen. The combination of the ham’s savory scent and the rice cakes’ chewy texture is incredibly appetizing!
Step 9
Cutting slits in the ham really made it look more appealing as it cooked and the cuts opened up beautifully. Watching the ham sizzle and cook made me want to take a bite right away!
Step 10
While the rice cakes and ham are stir-frying, let’s make the special sauce that will define the flavor of our skewers! In a bowl, combine gochujang, ketchup, corn syrup, sugar, soy sauce, cooking oil, minced garlic, black pepper, and gochugaru. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. (You can adjust the amount of gochugaru to make it spicier, according to your preference.)
Step 11
The sauce is ready! Everything is now prepared to create incredibly delicious ham and rice cake skewers. Push the stir-fried rice cakes and ham to one side of the pan, pour the prepared sauce into the empty part of the pan, and let it simmer slightly. Once the sauce starts to bubble, add the stir-fried rice cakes and ham back in and coat them evenly with the sauce.
Step 12
Thread the nicely stir-fried rice cakes and ham onto the wooden skewers. Alternating between rice cakes and ham makes them visually appealing and easy to eat. For an extra burst of flavor, drizzle a little more sauce over the skewers before serving!
Step 13
We’re almost done! Generously coat the rice cakes and ham on the skewers with the prepared sauce. Ensuring the sauce covers everything evenly allows the sweet and tangy flavors to seep into the rice cakes and ham, making them even more delicious. And there you have it – our cherished childhood snack, ham and rice cake skewers, complete!
Step 14
Pro Tip: If you have leftover rice cakes after skewering, simply toss them in the sauce without skewering them. They taste just as amazing! You can enjoy them like Tteokbokki, or they make a great side dish for rice.
