Tteokbokki for the aspiring Korean cook

All right. For those of you who were asking if I ever cook Korean food for my husband, why, yes...yes I do.  I try to be sensitive to the fact that although he has lived in the States for almost 5 years now, he still really misses home and (as he claims) the superior food that Korea offers. So, as a good little wife, I am trying to embrace the culture and cook food he loves. Here is a break down of how I cook Tteokbokki, which is how Kyoung Hee likes it. There are several different ways to do it and it all just depends on the tastes of the ones who will be eating it. For those of you who have never had tteokbokki, Tteokbokki is a delicious Korean snack food that is usually eaten from street vendors or at train stations. It is a spicy rice/fish cake concoction that is really very good, once you get used to the super spiciness. This is how I make it. You will need a deep skillet pan to cook. Take 10-15 minutes to cook. 

First....cut one onion into slices

Add one spoonful of tashida(Korean) this can be found in Korean markets. It is basically like All-spice. It just adds flavor.

Add one spoonful of minced garlic to the skillet and mix with onions and tashida. 

Add two handfuls of round rice cakes 

Add 2-3 handfuls of fish cakes--These can be fish cake balls or fish cake strips, it doesn't matter

It should look like this. Then turn the stove on med-high and begin the boiling process

My husband likes to add soy sauce and 2 spoonfuls of sugar but this is not required. He just likes it that way.  No exact measurement on the soy sauce. I just go around in two circles pouring the soy sauce into the pan. 

This is the important part. You will need Gochujang for this step. It is hot pepper paste and you can get it from the Korean/Asian market.

Looks wonky I know. Put 1-2 spoonfuls into the boiling mixture. Stir until completely dissolved. Let simmer over low heat until the rice cakes are all squishy. 

Should look something like this at the end. Happy eating!