Spicy, chewy rice cakes Tteokbokki

 

The No.1 street snack in Korea is Tteokbokki, the spicy stir-fried rice cakes! The primary ingredients are rice cakes, fish cakes and funky gochujang chili paste, which create a spicy, sweet and chewy instant rice snack. It is super addictive even when you're full, you still want to grab another bite!😉. Tteokbokki can be found easily in food stalls in the cities, where people gather to have conversations with friends while eating Tteokbokki. You can also enjoy this snack at home by just following this simple recipe!

Difficulty: Easy

Cost: Economic

Preparation time: 5 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Portions: 1-2 people

INGREDIENTS: 

You will need to prepare 👇:

• 200g Korean rice cakes 
• 200g Korean fish cakes 

(you can find them at Korean or Asina food stores)

• 2 eggs
• 50g lauch
• Minced garlic
• Korean Gochujang Chili paste, tomato sauce
• Chili red pepper
• Sesame oil, salt, sugar

Ok, you have them all? Now let's start!

PREPARATION& COOKING:

STEP 1: Boil the eggs meanwhile put the rice cakes in a bowl and add 200ml of hot water to soak.

STEP 2: Cut fish cakes into size-bite triangles slices. Wash the lauch and chop into short pieces. 

STEP 3: Put 3 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan, wait til the oil is hot enough, then add 1 tbsp of minced garlic to fry. 

STEP 4: Add 240 ml of cold water and stir well until it boils. 

STEP 5: Add 4 tbsp tomato sauce + 3 tbsp Korean chilli paste + 2 tbsp sugar + a bit salt.

STEP 6: Use a spoon to stir the mixture in the hot pan, then add rice cakes and fish slices. Stir well to absord the mixture and cook it about 10 minutes to soften the rice cakes. 

STEP 7: Add 1 tbsp of minced chilli red pepper and lauch in the pan. Mix again and turn off the heat! 

EATING TIPS:

SOURCE: flickr.com

In Korea, people often grab a plate of Tteokbokki and drink some soju (Korean wine) with their friends or colleages after school or after work. It is the ultimate late night indulgence! 

Leave a comment to let us know how is your home-made Korean Tteokbokki and how you eat it😉

Rice cakes

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Nutritious Seaweed Soup Miyeok Guk Recipe

Do you know Korean people believe that eating Seaweed Soup (miyeok guk) for breakfast on birthdays would bring you lots of luck, happiness and health?😊. It is called Korean Birthday Soup! Drinking this soup on birthdays is also a traditional way to show love and respect to ones's mother who gave birth to them. In fact, miyeok guk soup is cooked from seaweed which is rich in calcium and iodine, nutrients. That's why it is very nutritious for women during their pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

Korean seaweed soup (miyeok guk or miyuk guk, 미역국) also has many other benefits such as reducing blood fat and detoxifying the liver. It is very healthy for people with high blood pressure, helping to prevent cancer and gastrointestinal tract.

Let's try making this soup and see if it can become your favourite soup! The recipe is super simple✌

Difficulty: Easy

Cost: Economic

Preparation time: 3-5 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Portions: 1-2 people

INGREDIENTS: 

You will need to prepare 👇:

• 50g Dried seaweed (Miyeok / wakame)
• 150g beef stew meat or brisket
• Minced ginger and minced garlic
• Soy sauce
• White vinegar (apple)
• Sesame oil
• Sugar, salt and pepper

Ok, you have them all? Now let's start!

PREPARATION: 

SOURCE: FLICKR.COM

Step 1: Wash seaweed to remove dirt and soak for 20-30 minutes to soften. Then, Take out the seaweed, drain and cut each piece about 4-5 cm.

SOURCE: FLICKR.COM

Step 2: Put the seaweed in a large bowl, squeeze it with white vinegar, then rinse it again. Many people learn how to cook seaweed soup but often skip this step.

Squeezing the seaweed with vinegar helps to reduce the fishy smell, making the soup more delicious.

Step 3: Cut beef into thin slices and marinate with minced garlic, sesame oil, pepper for about 20 minutes. You don't have to add much seasoning because when you cook the seaweed soup, you will taste it again to fit.

COOKING: 

Step 4:  Put a little sesame oil on the pot, stir the mince garlic and then add the sliced beef. Mix it well. 

Step 5: When the beef is half done, add seaweed and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil. Stir the mixture in 4 minutes at high heat. 

Tip: a delicious Korean Seaweed Soup requires you to use high heat so that the meat and seaweed won't lose their flavor.

Step 6: Pour water into the pot and lower the heat. When the soup is boiling, you can add seasoning (salt) until it fits your taste. Continue to cook at medium heat about 5 minutes. 

Step 7: Add one tablespoon of minced garlic to the pot and keep the heat low for another 10 minutes to allow the garlic to soak in the seaweed soup. Then your soup is done!

It seems that when making this seaweed soup, many people forget this step. Therefore, their soup lacks its characteristic flavor.

EATING TIPS:

source: flickr.com

You can make a dried seaweed soup with tofu or seafood instead of beef. With these ingredients, you'll have a very tasty and light dish for the summer.

Seaweed soup can be served with rice and other dishes. 

In the summer, you can let the soup cool down before eating, while in the winter, eating a hot seaweed soup with rice will be a wonderful thing 😉

Leave a comment to let us know how is your home-made Korean Seaweed Soup and how you eat it😉 

Seaweed soup

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