Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (2024)

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Hello From Seoul! I have been asked for a long time like “Aaron, how can I make rice cakes? Is there any substitute?”

You know what? I wanted to show you better substitutes for rice cakes because making rice cakes is so hard and takes a lot of time, but I was not satisfied with the substitutes, so I just ended up deciding to make 2 kinds of Rice Cakes from scratch.

Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (1)

MAKE RICE FLOUR

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups short-grain white rice

Instructions:

1. For 2 types of rice cakes, we need rice flour. Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water runs clear. (Normally, we rinse the rice two or three times but when we make rice flour, it should be more than that. FYI, I did it 8 times.)

2. Soak it in water and put it in a fridge for at least 8 hours. Drain the rice. Get rid of the moisture with paper towels (or a clean towel). If the rice is too wet, you can use a hair dryer. I’m serious.

3. Grind the rice with a coffee grinder (or a food processor). Add the rice little by little. Sift the ground rice flour into a large bowl. If there are too thick or large particles, grind them again so that they can be sifted. (You can store the leftover rice flour in the freezer for later use.)

Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (2)

#1 SSALTTEOK

The first one is called “ssaltteok” which is made of rice flour only! It is a traditional rice cake and it is chewier than miltteok. But when cooked, it easily gets mushy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) hot water
  • Toasted sesame oil (or any cooking oil), to coat

Instructions:

1. Put 2 cups of rice flour in a bowl.

2. In a small container, mix together 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup (240ml) of hot water. Pour into the bowl little by little and mix well with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and make some holes with a fork. Microwave for 2 minutes.

3. Take out the dough and mix well. Microwave for another minute. Repeat until it’s not too sticky. (FYI, I did it 8 times.)

4. Spread a little bit of sesame oil (or any cooking oil) on the cutting board to prevent any sticking.

5. Take the dough and pound it with a rolling pin. The longer you pound, the chewier your rice cakes will be. Roll and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. You can make tteokbokki right now or store in the freezer.

Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (3)
Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (4)
Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (5)

#2 MILTTEOK

The second one is called “miltteok” which contains wheat flour. It absorbs the sauce really well and it doesn’t get mushy easily. If you have ever had tteokbokki from street vendors in Korea, I am pretty sure that was made with miltteok.

Ingredients:

  • All-purpose flour (220g)
  • Rice flour (75g)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 150ml water
  • Toasted sesame oil (or any cooking oil), to coat

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and rice flour.

2. In a small container, mix together the salt and water. Pour into the bowl little by little, and mix well.

3. Pound the dough. Again, this step is the most important for a chewy texture.

4. Optionally, put the dough in a ziplock bag and let rest it in the fridge for 1 hour to get a better texture.

5. Spread a little bit of sesame oil (or any cooking oil) on the cutting board to prevent any sticking. Place the dough on the cutting board and roll out the dough. Cut into the rectangular shapes and make the shape of rice cakes.

6. Boil for 10 minutes and cool it down in ice water. (If you want to keep them in the freezer, coat them with some sesame oil.)

Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (6)
Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (7)
Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (8)

LET’S MAKE TTEOKBOKKI

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 yellow onion
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 cup cabbage leaves
  • 1 sheet Korean fish cake
  • 1 cup (240ml) water
  • 2 cups rice cakes
  • 1-2 hard-boiled eggs, to serve

Tteokbokki Sauce:

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice the onion and green onions. Cut the cabbage and fish cake into bite-sized pieces.

2. Make the sauce. In a small container, mix together Korean chili paste, Korean chili pepper flakes, sugar, minced garlic, black pepper to taste, water, and chicken stock.

3. In a pan, add 1 cup (240ml) water and the sauce. Bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, add the onion, green onions, cabbage, fish cake, rice cakes, and hard-boiled eggs. Give it a good stir until the sauce is thickened.Enjoy!

Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (9)
Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (10)

Today, I made rice cakes in 2 ways. I really hope this recipe will be a great help to people who cannot get it.But I have to say, if there is a Korean grocery store near your place, do not even think about making it. I am serious! Alright, this is it for today and I’ll see you next time.

WATCH FULL VIDEO

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Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (11)

Recipe by Aaron and Claire

Ingredients

  • 4 cups short-grain white rice

  • Ssaltteok:
  • 2 cups rice flour

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 cup (240ml) hot water

  • Toasted sesame oil (or any cooking oil), to coat

  • Miltteok:
  • All-purpose flour (220g)

  • Rice flour (75g)

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 150ml water

  • Toasted sesame oil (or any cooking oil), to coat

Directions

  • Make Rice Flour
  • Thoroughly rinse the rice until the water runs clear. (Normally, we rinse the rice two or three times but when we make rice flour, it should be more than that. FYI, I did it 8 times.)
  • Soak it in water and put it in a fridge for at least 8 hours. Drain the rice. Get rid of the moisture with paper towels (or a clean towel). If the rice is too wet, you can use a hair dryer. I’m serious.
  • Grind the rice with a coffee grinder (or a food processor). Add the rice little by little. Sift the ground rice flour into a large bowl. If there are too thick or large particles, grind them again so that they can be sifted. (You can store the leftover rice flour in the freezer.)
  • #1 Ssaltteok
  • Put 2 cups of rice flour in a bowl.
  • In a small container, mix together 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup (240ml) of hot water. Pour into the bowl little by little and mix well with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and make some holes with a fork. Microwave for 2 minutes.
  • Take out the dough and mix well. Microwave for another minute. Repeat until it’s not too sticky. (FYI, I did it 8 times.)
  • Spread a little bit of sesame oil (or any cooking oil) on the cutting board to prevent any sticking.
  • Take the dough and pound it with a rolling pin. The longer you pound, the chewier your rice cakes will be. Roll and cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. You can make tteokbokki right now or store in the freezer.
  • #2 Miltteok
  • In a bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and rice flour.
  • In a small container, mix together the salt and water. Pour into the bowl little by little, and mix well.
  • Pound the dough. Again, this step is the most important for a chewy texture.
  • Optionally, put the dough in a ziplock bag and let rest it in the fridge for 1 hour to get a better texture.
  • Spread a little bit of sesame oil (or any cooking oil) on the cutting board to prevent any sticking. Place the dough on the cutting board and roll out the dough. Cut into the rectangular shapes and make the shape of rice cakes.
  • Boil for 10 minutes and cool it down in ice water. (If you want to keep them in the freezer, coat them with some sesame oil.)

Notes

  • 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 240 ml

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Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire (2024)

FAQs

Garaetteok (Korean Rice Cakes) Recipe - Aaron and Claire? ›

For refrigerated or frozen rice cakes, Maangchi suggests a “very short” soaking time because “I don't know how long the rice cakes were in the freezer or refrigerator.” For her, a soak as short as 10 minutes helps speed up the cook time.

Do Korean rice cakes need to be soaked? ›

For refrigerated or frozen rice cakes, Maangchi suggests a “very short” soaking time because “I don't know how long the rice cakes were in the freezer or refrigerator.” For her, a soak as short as 10 minutes helps speed up the cook time.

Are Korean rice cakes healthy for you? ›

Rice cakes are generally a healthy snack if you opt for whole-grain options, especially when paired with avocado, fruit, or nut butter. Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master's degrees in both nutrition science and public health.

What is Garaetteok made of? ›

Garaetteok (also spelled “garae-tteok” and “garaeddeok”) is a Korean rice cake made from steamed, pounded rice grains. Cooks shape the mixture into long ropes, then cut them further into short cylindrical segments or thick coins.

What is the difference between Japanese rice cake and Korean rice cake? ›

The difference is that Japanese rice cakes are made from sticky glutinous rice while Korean rice cakes are made from regular non-glutinous rice. Since there are no real rules for making rice cakes, every region in Japan has its own traditional recipe.

Should Korean rice cakes be refrigerated? ›

The most convenient way to store Korean rice cakes in the short term is by putting them in the refrigerator.

How do you know when Korean rice cakes are done? ›

Stir gently with a wooden spoon when it starts to boil. Let it simmer and keep stirring until the rice cake turns soft and the tteokbokki sauce thickens and looks shiny, which should take about 10 to 15 minutes. If the rice cake is not soft enough, add more water and continue stirring until it softens.

Can I eat rice cakes everyday? ›

Rice cakes are a high glycemic index food, along with things like crackers, bagels, cakes, doughnuts, croissants, and white bread. Eating a lot of these foods may raise your risk of some health conditions. ‌Other concerns. Certain rice cakes, like those coated in chocolate, have a lower nutritional value.

What are the cons of rice cakes? ›

Downsides of rice cakes

Rice cakes may raise your blood sugar, particularly if you eat multiple servings in one sitting or if you choose sweet-flavored varieties that contain added sugar. They're mostly carbs and have very little protein and fiber to slow the effect of these carbs on your blood sugar.

Why do Koreans give rice cakes? ›

Tteok (떡), Korean rice cake, is enjoyed by many Koreans as a dessert, a seasonal delicacy, and even a meal. Different types of tteok are served for different occasions including national holidays, weddings, ancestral ceremonies, and more.

What does garaetteok taste like? ›

Garaetteok is white in color and does not have much taste on its own, so it is great in a stir fried dish (e.g. tteokbokki) or in a soup (e.g. tteokguk). Short grain rice or medium grain rice works best when making garaetteok.

What is the difference between Chinese and Korean rice cakes? ›

The flat disc-shaped rice cakes (called nian gao in Chinese) are most commonly used in stir-fries in Chinese cuisine. The tubular ones (which are called garaetteok in Korean) are much more common in Korean cooking and are most commonly cooked with gochujang paste and fish cakes as comfort food known as tteokbokki.

Are Korean rice cakes similar to mochi? ›

Korean rice cake or tteok, is made from steamed flour. The flour can come from any type of grain, including glutinous rice. Unlike mochi, which can't be made with regular rice, tteok can be created with non-glutinous rice.

What does Bokki mean in Korean? ›

' tteok ' is the Korean word for rice cake and 'bokki' is the Korean word for something fried.

What does tteokbokki mean? ›

Expanding Variety. Tteok means rice cake and bokki stir-fried food. Combining these two words forms the term tteokbokki, or “stir-fried rice cake.” Ask Koreans what food makes them most nostalgic about their childhood and tteokbokki is the first thing they'll say.

Do you need to soak Korean rice? ›

Always soak your rice for at least thirty minutes before cooking for the optimal fluffy, slightly chewy texture that characterises Korean rice. After 30 minutes, stick the rice and the water into the pot and start cooking. Dashima (다시마), or kelp, is the base of many Korean broths.

How do you soften frozen Korean rice cakes? ›

You can do this by leaving them in the refrigerator overnight or placing them in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes. Thawing them will make them easier to cook and prevent them from sticking together.

How to eat Korean sweet rice cakes? ›

Korean rice cakes can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes. Some popular ways to eat them include in tteokbokki (spicy rice cake dish), in soups, in stir-fries, or even coated in sweetened soybean flour for a sweet treat.

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