Royal Tteokbokki | Community | themountainmail.com

Rice is a staple food in many different cultures. Rice often is a popular side dish or even featured prominently as part of an entree. 

Tteok is found in sweet and savory Korean dishes. Tteok are rice cakes made from rice that is steamed and pounded to form a product that is distinctively chewy. Most tteok are rolled into cylinders and cut into pieces, or sliced thinly on a diagonal. The rice cakes are available at retailers both fresh and frozen and can be eaten out of hand or added to stir-frys or even fried to a crispy texture.

This recipe for Royal Tteokbokki is a stir-fry comfort food that hails from the royal court of the Chosun dynasty.

 

Royal Tteokbokki

Serves 4

 

1pound beef ribeye, trimmed and thinly sliced

1small firm but ripe pear, grated

3tablespoons brown sugar

3tablespoons soy sauce

2tablespoons roasted sesame oil

1tablespoon vegetable oil, plus a drizzle for the stir-fry

5garlic cloves, grated

2tablespoons roasted sesame seeds, crushed

1/4teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated

1/2teaspoon black pepper

 

Stir fry

10ounces tteok (thin rice cake batons)

2ounces baby onions, peeled and quartered

3 3/4ounces mixed wild mushrooms

1rainbow carrot, peeled and julienned

3 1/2ounces baby leeks, trimmed and cut lengthwise into quarters

3ounces baby corn, cut lengthwise into quarters

 

To serve

1spring onion

1quail egg, soft boiled

Pinch of black sesame seeds

 

In a shallow dish, combine beef, pear and brown sugar and massage with your hands to thoroughly combine. Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic, crushed sesame seeds, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.

When beef is ready, use your hands to shake off and squeeze out any excess sugary liquid, then add beef to the soy sauce marinade. Toss to coat, cover and marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.

Meanwhile, cut the spring onion lengthwise into thin strips and soak in iced water until curled, then drain.

About 30 minutes before cooking, place tteok in a large bowl with enough water to cover them. Leave them to rehydrate.

Once the tteok are rehydrated, remove from the water, retaining 4 tablespoons of liquid. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add baby onions and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms, carrot, baby leeks and baby corn and cook for a further 5 minutes until slightly softened.

Increase heat to medium-high, add beef, marinade, rehydrated tteok and the retained water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meat is medium rare and slightly pink in the center. Transfer to a serving plate, and arrange the spring onion and quail egg on top. Finish with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.