A plate full of Korean tteokbokki

Korean tteokbokki

Name: Korean tteokbokki
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 300g cylinder-shaped rice cakes (fresh or frozen); 1 tsp sunflower oil; 150g leek halved lengthways then cut into 5cm batons; 1½ tbsp golden granulated sugar; 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste); 1 tbsp fish sauce; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

Su Scott

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Serves 2

Easy

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 15 mins

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For Su Scott, nothing quite beats the nostalgic taste of simple sweet and spicy tteokbokki (glossy, red braised rice cakes)

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Try our Korean tteokbokki, then try Bibigo's bo-saam pork belly, Korean slow-roast shoulder of pork, Korean pork belly with kimchi, Korean noodles or Korean-style ramen.

Marching merrily to the nearest tteokbokki cart after school, linking arms with friends, is one of the most joyful memories of my childhood that never fails to put a big smile on my face – one so vivid I can taste every mouthful just thinking about it. The glossy red braised rice cakes filled to the brim of a paper cup, we would all be on a mission to fish out piece after piece with a toothpick while nattering innocently about teenage pimples and pop stars, short skirts and heartaches, putting the world to rights.

From extremely fiery gochujang-based sauce to salty chunjang (Korean black bean sauce) to carbonara-inspired cream sauce, the choices are endless and sold everywhere from school canteens to bunsik cafés, street corners and microwave-ready convenience store meals. But for me nothing quite beats the nostalgic taste of simple sweet and spicy tteokbokki.

Korean rice cakes can be found in the fridge section in Korean supermarkets as well as other ESEA grocery stores. You may also find shelf-stable wheat-based rice cakes, which offer a slightly different texture but are nonetheless delicious.

Su Scott is an award-winning cook and food writer based in London. Her recipes are influenced by her childhood in Korea as well as her time living in the UK. She is the author of two cookery books, Rice Table and Pocha*, and has contributed to numerous publications. Listen to her on the podcast, available on Spotify, Acast and Apple. @suscottfood*