Topokki is a trendy street food which you can find anywhere in Korea, especially famous in Myeongdong area. It is basically made up of spicy stir-fried rice cakes, together with Korean fish cakes, soup stock and also Korean chilli paste known as gochujang.
It is easy to make at home as an anytime comfort food. This dish is suitable for all with its spicy and sweet flavour and chewy texture of the rice cakes. Topokki is also especially popular during winter seasons as it brings warmth to our bodies when eating.
Rice cakes are addressed as garaetteok in Korean, the thick type is sliced into oval shapes and used to make soup, while the thinner, shorter type is used to make topokki. You can find rice cakes anywhere in Korea. The freshly made ones found in Korean fresh markets are especially the best to make topokki. If not, those refrigerated ones in supermarkets are good as well.
Ingredients:
- 350g Korean rice cakes, separated
- 150g Korean fish cakes
- 7 large size dried anchovies, remove their heads and intestines
- 6 x 8 inch dried kelp
- 60g / 2 ounces onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon of gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon of raw sugar
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
- 1 tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
- 1 Egg
Directions:
- Soak the rice cakes in warm water until soft for around 15 minutes.
- Then rinse the fish cakes over hot water and cut them into long strips.
- Prepare a hard-boiled egg.
- Prepare the stock by adding water, dried anchovies, and dried kelp to a shallow pot. Mix the stock evenly.
- Boil the stock without the lid at medium heat for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing gochujang, raw sugar, soy sauce, garlic and Korean chilli flakes into a small bowl.
- Remove the kelp and anchovies from the pot then add in the sauce mixture. Mix evenly.
- After the sauce has dissolved completely, add in the rice cake, green onions, hard-boiled egg and fish cakes.
- Boil the dish until the rice cakes are completely cooked.
- Simmer the topokki over low heat before serving to thicken the texture.
- Top the topokki with green onion, sesame seeds and sesame oil.
- Enjoy it while it is hot.