Tteokbokki- Korean Spicy Rice Cakes, Vegetarianized

Another attempt to replicate a delicious restaurant dish- I ordered it once not knowing that it's meant to contain fishcakes. Fortunately the very kind waitress remembered that we'd asked about some other dishes containing meat, so she asked if we wanted it made without. It's probably better with, but I was more than content with the vegetarianized version. So, I went to the Korean supermarket around the corner not long after reencountering the recipe, looking for the elusive chili paste and powder needed to get the distinctive flavour.

I found what I was looking for- the chili paste, gochujang, was in a small red tub with a picture of a pepper, so I got it and hoped for the best. The powder- gochugaru- was harder to find, but it was just hidden in a nondescript plastic baggie amongst the shelves. Both ingredients were firetruck red, as if showing off just how fantastically spicy and delicious they are. Of course, I should've gotten Korean soy sauce and corn syrup too, since they're not exactly the same as the sorts I already had, but I forgot in the excitement of acquiring my chili products. I adjusted to make do with what I had, and it still tasted pretty similar to the one I'd ordered, so it's not a total impossibility to do without those bits.

I also added vegetables and tofu to make it a complete meal- the one I'd ordered was only garnished with vegetables, but this way I could eat for lunch/dinner what was originally an appetizer-type dish. I've heard that variations of it are a popular street food in Korea... man, who needs hot dog carts? I want spicy rice cake carts in Toronto ASAP.

The rice cakes themselves are very interesting- chewy and soft, cooked perfectly in the sweet, spicy, nutty and savoury sauce. I found them in the freezer section of that same Korean supermarket, but some of the more diverse Asian supermarkets will also have them. The ingredients are definitely worth seeking out if they aren't a part of your pantry already. As I mentioned before, these can also be made without the additional veggies and things and eaten as more of a snack or appetizer. They're so easy to make that they can be fit in wherever and whenever.

Tteokbokki
Adapted from Messy Witchen
600 g. Korean rice cakes
600 ml. Water
4 TBSP Gochujang (Korean chili paste, available at many Asian grocery stores)
1 TBSP Gochugaru (Korean chili powder, a little trickier to find), Optional
1/2 TBSP Korean soy sauce (I used 1 TBSP of Chinese, light soy sauce)
1 1/2 TBSP Korean corn syrup (I used regular golden corn syrup), optional
1/2 TBSP Sugar
2 Cloves minced garlic
Mixed vegetables, optional; I used two zucchini, two carrots in matchsticks, two shiitake, half a red bell pepper and also some fried tofu. 

For the Garnish:
1 TBSP Toasted sesame seeds
1 Green onion, thinly sliced (I used chives, since I had none)
Drizzle of toasted sesame oil (optional)

Bring all but the rice cakes to a boil together. Add the rice cakes and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes add the vegetables. 

Once the rice cakes are tender and the sauce is thick, sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onion. Serve hot.