AFF Korea – Royal Korean court stir fried rice cakes, Gungjung-tteokbokki 궁중떡볶이

I saw this recipe in maangchi and was intrigued by such a wonderful name, Royal Korean Court…a dish that has roots way back in history but has gone though a lot of modern changes and adaptations. These rice cakes are very popular in Korea and they come in all shapes and sizes. They are even used for desserts. It is quite easy to make your own rice cakes and the ingredients required are not many but I opted to using the frozen ones just to taste how it is first because I never had a Korean tteok prior to this.

This dish is like a thick kuey teow stir fry. Totally delicious and not at all strange to the palate so I’m pretty sure loads of people will find it enjoyable. I changed the protein to pork because hubster was not a huge fan of beef. Even the egg stripes which was suppose to be a garnish, I kinda just added it into the dish itself because I didn’t want to waste a whole egg white. It is hearty and very filling so I would caution on the portion of the rice cakes. The vegetables not only makes the colour of the dish so appealing to the eye but they add great flavour.

I used this brand of Frozen rice cakes

You can also add these rice cakes into a kimchi soup or do the spicy version covered in gochujang sauce.

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RECIPE FOR STIR-FRIED RICE CAKES
(recipe from maangchi with slight changes)

Ingredients;

1 handful tteokbokki/ rice cakes (I used the frozen type)
100 gms sliced lean pork
1 beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, chopped
ground black pepper
Sunflower oil
Sesame seeds
Spring onions, chopped

Marinade for pork;
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Vegetables;
1 handful fresh shitakes, sliced into bite sized pieces
1/2 a green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 a red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced

Steps;

1. First boil your frozen rice cakes for 2 mins or till they’re soft. If you’re using fresh, then you can skip this part.
2. First, into a hot pan, add sunflower oil, pour in beaten egg and cook both sides till you have a ‘pancake’. When it is cool enough to handle, roll it up and slice with a knife to make thin stripes. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan with a kitchen paper. Add sunflower oil to the same frying pan. Sautee the onions till they’re soft but not coloured. Add the sliced pork and stir till they’re semi cooked. Add the green, red peppers and garlic, sautee till they’re fragrant.
4. Add the rice cakes and stir around. Add the fresh shitakes.
5. Add seasonings of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper. Taste and adjust. Add the egg stripes and toss around.
6. Dish up and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.

Enjoy!

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I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest: Korea,
hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feasts.