Best for: A bubbling skillet of Korea’s favorite street snack.
Tteokbokki simmers chewy rice cakes in a sweet-spicy gochujang sauce until the sauce turns thick and glossy. This version builds the sauce on vegetable stock in a cast-iron skillet on the grill, with cabbage and scallions standing in for the usual fish cakes — the flavor stays bold and the skillet goes straight to the table.
Cast iron: Large cast-iron skillet over direct medium-high heat; about 400°F. Equipment: 12-inch cast-iron skillet, spoon.
Ingredients
Soak: 10 minutes. Total: 40 minutes.
- 1 lb tteokbokki rice cakes (short cylinders)
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water
- 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chile paste)
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 small green cabbage, cut into bite-size squares (about 2 cups)
- 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Soak the rice cakes in warm water for 10 minutes to soften, then drain. (Skip the soak if your rice cakes are fresh and soft.)
Set the cast-iron skillet on the grill at about 400°F. Add the stock, gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic and stir until the paste dissolves.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the cabbage. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until it begins to wilt.
Add the rice cakes and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the rice cakes are tender and chewy and the sauce is thick and glossy. Add a splash of water if it thickens too fast.
Fold in the scallions and cook 1 minute more.
Finish with the sesame oil and sesame seeds and serve bubbling, straight from the skillet.
Grilling tip: Keep the sauce at a lively simmer and stir from the bottom — rice cakes sink and scorch in a still pan.
