Sweet & Spicy! Mouthwatering Tteokbokki, Baek Jong-won’s Style
Easy Homemade Tteokbokki: Baek Jong-won’s Golden Recipe for Delicious Instant Tteokbokki
Tteokbokki that’s always delicious! I absolutely love tteokbokki, and while I used to make it differently every time because I didn’t have a fixed recipe, I’ve decided to settle on this ‘Baek Jong-won’s Golden Tteokbokki Recipe’! This is an instant tteokbokki recipe, and the sauce, with its perfectly balanced flavors, is truly divine. It’s sweet and spicy, making you want to overeat – I’ll show you how to make this amazing Baek Jong-won tteokbokki sauce!
Tteokbokki Base Ingredients
- 200g Tteokbokki rice cakes (choose your favorite, either milltteok or ssalttok)
- 1/6 head cabbage (more makes it sweeter and tastier!)
- 1/2 onion
- 1 stalk green onion (slice the white part diagonally, and the green part lengthwise for garnish)
- A little carrot (julienned)
- 4 sausages (add according to preference)
- 4 sheets of fish cake (eomuk)
- 1 pack of ramen noodles (optional)
Baek Jong-won Tteokbokki Sauce (1 Serving)
- 3 Tbsp red chili powder (gochugaru)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp red chili paste (gochujang)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1/3 packet black bean paste seasoning (jjajang powder) (used instead of black bean paste in the original recipe; enhances color)
- 3 Tbsp red chili powder (gochugaru)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp red chili paste (gochujang)
- 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1/3 packet black bean paste seasoning (jjajang powder) (used instead of black bean paste in the original recipe; enhances color)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, soak 200g of tteokbokki rice cakes in water for about 15-20 minutes until they soften. You can use either milltteok (wheat flour rice cakes) or ssalttok (rice rice cakes) depending on your preference for texture.
Step 2
Chop 1/6 head of cabbage into large pieces. Adding more cabbage makes the tteokbokki sweeter and tastier as its natural sweetness seeps into the sauce. Briefly soak the chopped cabbage in water, then rinse under running water and drain well.
Step 3
Cut the white part of the green onion into diagonal pieces (about 1 inch long). Slice the green leafy part lengthwise into larger pieces, as this will be used as a garnish.
Step 4
If you have leftover carrots, julienne them thinly. They add both color and a pleasant crunch.
Step 5
Julienne the 1/2 onion thinly, similar to the carrots. The onion will add a lovely sweetness as it cooks.
Step 6
Add sausages, sliced as desired. The combination of tteokbokki and sausage is always a winner!
Step 7
Now, let’s make the delicious tteokbokki sauce. In a bowl, combine 3 Tbsp red chili powder, 3 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp red chili paste, 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, and 3 Tbsp water. Mix them well. Chef Baek Jong-won’s original recipe uses black bean paste (chunjang), but using 1/3 packet of readily available jjajang powder instead offers a similar savory depth and a beautiful dark color. Stir until all ingredients are smoothly incorporated.
Step 8
In a wide pot, spread the chopped cabbage and julienned onions evenly on the bottom. Then, arrange the softened rice cakes, julienned carrots, sausages, and fish cakes on top.
Step 9
Pour the prepared sauce evenly over all the ingredients. Add just enough water to almost cover the ingredients. Be careful not to add too much water, as it might dilute the flavor. Adjust the water level based on the quantity of ingredients.
Step 10
Place the pot on a portable burner right at your dining table to cook and enjoy. Start cooking on high heat. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally to ensure the sauce coats everything evenly and the flavors meld. Enjoy the soft rice cakes first, and as the sauce thickens, the flavors will become even richer. You can pick out your favorite pieces of fish cake and rice cakes. For an extra satisfying meal, add the ramen noodles towards the end!
