ddukbokhee

Ddukbokhee aka Spicy Rice Cake

Had this urge for duk bok khee last night, so of course being the instant gratification type person I am, I head over to Kukjae market for some rice cakes and odeng.

What you will need:

simple broth, kelp and dried anchovy broth
rice cakes, cleaned and soaked in water
spoonfuls of kot chu jang, spiciness to taste
spoonful of honey, yes i said honey
cleaned odeng, cut into strips
sesame seeds
kot chu ka rhu
minced garlic
salt and pepper to season
green onions

In a sauce pan, drain in some simple broth and bring to a simmer. A spoonful at a time, add in the kot chu jang. Add in a spoonful of kot chu ka rhu along with the minced garlic and a spoonful of honey. Taste along the process until you get it nice and spicy, but not too spicy for your taste.

Drain the soaked rice cakes and add. Toss in the sliced odeng and mix.

Simmer for a few minutes, toss in the green onions and sprinkle some sesame seed. Done.

For those looking for more, I like to add in a bit of miso. It adds a nice complexity to the flavor. Also, of course it would be ideal to have odeng broth, but we are not all pojangmacha ajumahs that make duk bok khee all day. Experiment with everything and anything. In Insadong, I had kaen neep duk bok khee, and surprisingly, it was great. I like to toss in jap chae noodles, cabbage, ramen noodles, just whatevers in the pantry. For extra kick in the ass, I like to add some cayenne powder.

Now the dduk selection is key. You want to use a bigger dduk than thinner. The ovalets you use for dduk gook won't work here.