Gungjung Tteokbokki (Korean Royal Court Rice Cakes)

By Kay Chun

Published April 28, 2021

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Judy Kim.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(492)
Comments
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This savory-sweet rice cake dish is similar to the tteokbokki that was served in the Korean royal court during the Joseon Dynasty. Its spicy gochujang-rich younger cousin is better-known, but this milder version was created before the introduction of chile peppers to Korean cuisine. Gungjung tteokbokki has a complex sauce of roasted sesame oil, soy sauce and aromatics. Beef, vegetables and chewy-tender rice cakes, which are sold in the refrigerated section of Korean markets, are simmered with the sauce until it reduces to a velvety glaze. For a vegetarian meal, simply omit the beef. (The mushrooms add plenty of meaty flavor.) Mung bean sprouts add texture, but they can be left out, if you can’t find them.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • ¼ cup finely chopped scallions

  • ½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil

  • 4 ounces beef rib-eye or sirloin steak

  • 1 pound 2-inch-long cylindrical rice cakes

  • 2 tablespoons safflower or canola oil

  • ½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

  • 4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ¼-inch-thick

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced ¼-inch-thick

  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts

  • Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

108 grams carbs; 19 milligrams cholesterol; 665 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 784 milligrams sodium; 19 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, black pepper, 2 tablespoons of the scallions and ¼ teaspoon sesame oil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Transfer half of the sauce to another small bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Thinly slice beef crosswise about ⅛-inch-thick, then cut into 2-inch strips. Add beef to one bowl and toss to evenly coat, massaging sauce into beef. Let stand for 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine rice cakes and enough lukewarm water to cover by 1 inch. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain, then return the rice cakes to the bowl. Add the remaining sauce and toss to evenly coat.

  4. Step 4

    In a large skillet, heat safflower oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Add beef with its marinade and cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Add the rice cakes, their sauce and ½ cup water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and rice cakes are tender and nicely glazed, about 8 minutes. Stir in mung bean sprouts and remaining scallions and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.

  7. Step 7

    Divide tteokbokki among bowls and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve warm.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
492 user ratings
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Comments

Sue

There really is no substitute for the rice cakes -- they're a completely unique texture, and the whole dish revolves around that ingredient. You could absolutely make this dish without the rice cakes and serve it as a stew over rice, but you'll have a stew, not tteokbokki.

RoLo

I'm far from a recipe purist bc change ups=adventure (plus pandemic-shopping rules still in effect), but the (available online) rice cakes are the point of this dish. It'd be like making a sandwich without bread - feasible, but radically different from the original goal. Similar to making chili cheese fries without the potatoes - yes, you can make the topping sans fries, but that's just complementary-chili (better to find a chili-for-chili's sake recipe).

Yelena

You’ll be making a different dish if you don’t use the rice cakes. You need the chewy texture that can’t be recreated with rice or potatoes.

Andrea

Needs spice & something more, maybe some wilted greens? Another veg cooked in? Bok choy?

Rustyvalentine

I have made this twice now. The first time I added bok choy. I cooked it for the final 8 minutes with a lid because I was worried that the rice cakes wouldn’t cook without. The second time I made it with ground beef rather than steak and broccoli and didn’t use the lid. Rice cakes cooked fine so I would say go ahead and cook uncovered. The sauce didn’t thicken enough for my liking either time so I added a little cornstarch slurry for the last couple minutes (a teaspoon of cornstarch in 1/3 cup of water). The whole family liked this dish. A dish that everyone likes, that contains protein, starch and a green vegetable in it? Rare as hen’s teeth. It’s on the list!

Quinn

This was excellent. A reviewer suggested boiling the rice cakes before mixing in the remaining ingredients. I boiled in broth as they suggested. It was amazing!

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