Korean Spicy Rice Cakes (Gochujang Braised Chewy Tteok with Fish Cake)

Rinse 300 g rice cakes to remove surface starch.

If they feel hard, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Cut 100 g fish cake into bite-size pieces and slice 1 green onion on the diagonal.

Reserve 2 tablespoons from the measured 400 ml water and pour the rest into a pot.

Stir in half of the 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon gochugaru, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce, then bring to a boil over high heat.

When the seasoned liquid boils, add the rice cakes and reduce the heat to medium.

Cook for about 4 minutes, scraping the bottom often so the starch and sugar do not catch or scorch.

When the rice cakes soften on the outside, add the fish cake and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add the remaining seasoning gradually, and if the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a little of the reserved water.

Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the sauce clings to the rice cakes with a glossy coating.

The thickness is right when a spoon briefly exposes the bottom of the pot before the sauce flows back.

Add the green onion and cook just 30 seconds so it softens lightly but keeps its aroma.

Turn off the heat, check that the rice cakes are tender through the center, and serve immediately while hot.