Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

Ingredients

250g of wheat-based rice cakes (tteok)
100g of fish cakes (square-shaped)
350ml of water
20g of finely chopped onion
10g of anchovy soup stock powder (Dasida)
150ml of cold water
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of fine red pepper powder (gochugaru)
1 tablespoon of red pepper paste (gochujang)
1 tablespoon of plum extract (maesilcheong)
1 teaspoon of MSG (Miwon)

Recipe

Add the seasoning ingredients to a pot and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the pungent smell of the onion dissipates.
Be sure to adhere to this time.

Cut the fish cake into bite-sized pieces.

Rinse the rice cakes under water, separating them one by one, and drain well.

Add the rice cakes, fish cake, and water to the pot.

Pour in the prepared seasoning and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and everything is well-cooked.

Note

Use fine red pepper powder for this recipe. 
If you only have coarse red pepper flakes, make sure to grind them in a blender before using.

Do not use more than 20g of onion. Be careful not to add more than one tablespoon of grated onion.

This recipe uses anchovy Dasida in stick form. 
If you’re using a large container of anchovy Dasida, measure the amount by weight or use about two tablespoons. 
Absolutely do not use beef Dasida. It's also best to avoid Dasida that contains a mix of anchovy and katsuobushi.

For the fish cakes in tteokbokki, thin square fish cakes are recommended (pink square fish cakes from Dongyang Fishcake are particularly good).

Do not add green onions or cabbage. 

If you want to add ramen, boil and rinse it before adding it to the dish.

Make sure to use white granulated sugar. 
Using other types of sugar will significantly alter the final taste.

Use Haechandle gochujang (red pepper paste). 
Other brands of gochujang may give a slightly bitter taste when used in tteokbokki.