What an unholy abomination of grease and carbs. I love it.

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A rad fad

When recipes trend online, I sometimes try them out to see what the fuss is about. More often than not, it turns out that virality is based on gimmicks and flashy looks rather than great taste. This recipe is one of those rare exceptions that actually ended up making it into all the way into the Hideout collection, which means I’ve cooked it quite often by now. There were a few variations floating around, and trust me when I say that this is the best one (plus, measurements and instructions will actually be accurate).

I’m using the name from the trend, but these rolls are not very spicy at all. If you’d like them to be hotter, increase the amount of gochujang and/or gochugaru to your liking.

Measure twice, cut once

Speaking of measurements, you have to do a tiny bit of math if you don’t want to have leftover ingredients. Most (round) rice paper you find is around 22cm in diameter, which is suited for this recipe, but I have found that a smaller diameter of around 16cm yields the best results. Rolls don’t turn out too thick this way, improving the cheese-to-noodle ratio and making them easier to eat. Another big plus is that the standard-sized nori (about 18x18cm) have the ideal size when quartered (into 9x9cm squares), leaving the perfect rim on the rice paper and matching just about the size of a cheese slice. This way, you only need 1/4 nori per roll instead of 1/2. This is exactly the setup you see in the process photos below. All this means:

• If using small rice paper, the amounts indicated in the recipe will work exactly.
• If using larger rice paper, you need 1.5 times the cheese (put 1.5 slices on each roll) and double the nori leaves (cut them in half and then trim the length of the halves).

Ultimately, the most important part is that your nori leaf be smaller than the rice paper, leaving a rim around it that will stick together. The cheese meanwhile should just about cover the nori, and the noodles should cover at most half the cheese. You will have to trim the nori (I recommend using kitchen scissors), and maybe cut the cheese as well to make it all fit.

Assembling the rolls

The folding process is easy enough if you don’t overload the sheet with noodles and exert consistent (gentle) pressure throughout.

Only dip the rice paper into the water for a second, and keep your fingers wet to make it easier on yourself. Plus, for the love of everything that is holy, do not use a wooden surface, as the rice paper is incredibly sticky when wet and will immediately merge with it forever. A ceramic plate, for example, works much better.

You can make any amount of these rolls ahead of time, as they stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. Just put them away after the folding step, and pan-fry them right before eating. I recommend putting aluminum foil in-between the individual rolls when stored away as they will otherwise stick together.

Recipe credit

I tried out different versions of this recipe, all stemming from TikTok. I started out with this version, tried this one next, and finally landed on this one. I liked the last one by far the best, but after a few practice rounds, I added a lot of details and made countless improvements, especially to the measurements. The homemade tteokbokki sauce ingredients are taken directly from My Korean Kitchen.

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Spicy Noodle Spring Rolls

Cheesy pan-fried gochujang noodles wrapped in nori and rice paper! One of those rare viral recipes that hold up.

Course: Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 12 sheets small rice paper (16cm diameter) if larger, read post text above!
• 12 slices processed cheese (the soft, easy-melting kind) 18 if using larger rice paper
• 3 sheets nori 6 if using larger rice paper
• 3 blocks curly instant noodles or Mie noodles
• some white sesame
• some neutral cooking oil

Tteokbokki sauce

• 3 tbsp gochujang
• 1.5 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp gochugaru or other chili flakes

Instructions

Prepare fillings

• Put a large pot of salt water on the stove over high heat.
• Meanwhile, peel the garlic and squeeze through a garlic press (or mince finely).
• Mix the ingredients for the tteokbokki sauce together in a bowl and stir well.
• Once the water boils, cook the noodles according to package instructions, ideally a little shorter because they will be subjected to more heat later. (One minute in the water is usually enough.)
• Drain noodles and set aside. Once cooled a little, stir in the tteokbokki sauce.

Prepare the wrapping

• Set aside a deep plate or bowl of water that is wider than your rice paper.
• Prepare a surface for assembling the rolls. Do not use wood, it's too sticky!
• Cut the nori leaves in such a way that they fit the rice paper, leaving a generous rim around the edges. (See visual guide and notes in the post above.)
• If needed, cut the cheese so your slice(s) will cover the nori leaf more or less fully.

Roll!

• Repeat the following steps until you're out of ingredients. (See process photos!)
• Dip the rice paper in water (one second is enough) and place it on the surface.
• Sprinkle some white sesame seeds on the rice paper.
• Place a pre-cut sheet of nori on top.
• Next, roughly cover the nori with a slice of cheese (or 1.5 slices if needed).
• Place some sauce-covered noodles on one side, covering less than half the cheese.
• Start rolling from the side where the noodles are placed. Fold in the sides from left and right on that same side while rolling. Keep applying pressure as you go, finally wrap the opposite end of the rice paper around so it sticks to itself.
• Set the finished rolls aside for frying.

Fry

• If you're making more than two servings, preheat the oven to 80-100° C and place a plate inside to keep the rolls warm while the rest are being fried.
• Put a generous amount of oil into a nonstick pan over medium high heat.
• Fry the rolls in batches. You don't want them touching each other in the pan, as the rice paper rips easily.
• Carefully flip the rolls individually 2-3 times, frying each side for about 2 minutes.
• Repeat until all rolls are done and serve immediately.

If the “K” ain’t for “Korean”, you can keep that chicken.

A Patron

Merry Crispmas! You might be wondering why I chose Korean Fried Chicken out of all the possible holiday dishes out there. Well, I took inspiration from the Japanese tradition of eating a bunch of KFC for Christmas. Except, you know, I made it the good KFC.

Measure twice, cook once

This will look like a lot of chicken per person, but since there are no side dishes (besides maybe some banchan), and because it’s so delicious, you’ll be surprised at how much you’re going to end up eating.

The measurements for the batter are generous relative to the chicken, you’re likely going to have some left. I figured this was better than skimping and ending up having to make more. The sauce servings are also rather big; if you make two sauces with the original measurements, it should be more than enough for the indicated amount of chicken. If making one or three, adjust their serving amounts. Then again, leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge for a few days, and provides an excellent excuse to make more fried chicken very soon.

Fry, fry again

I’m not going to lie to you: Like most homemade deep-fried dishes, Korean Fried Chicken takes quite a while to prepare if you don’t have an industrial deep fryer at home. However, I promise that the taste will be worth every second. I recommend doing the dry rub the night before, and getting started with the deep-frying at least 90 minutes before your intended serving time. Get the sauces ready some time in-between.

Why 90 minutes? Let’s do some quick math, assuming you are making four servings in a mid-sized pot. From my experience, you need to deep-fry the chicken in 6 to 7 batches the first time (6 minutes each), and in 3 to 4 batches the second time (5 minutes each). That’s an hour of just deep-frying, plus extra time between batches for bringing the oil back to temperature and cleaning it, as well as patting the chicken dry. If things go relatively smoothly, this whole process takes about an hour and a half.

Do not rush the deep-frying by overcrowding the pot. The oil will cool down too much, and your chicken pieces will stick together. During the first round of frying, they should all swim freely in the oil without touching each other or the sides of the pot more than a little bit. In the second go-around, for the double-fry, the batter won’t break apart easily anymore, and you can fry more pieces at once. Frying a second time is mandatory; in the picture above, you can see the chicken comes out somewhat golden after the first go-around, but not nearly as crunchy as the end result.

Don’t be sloppy about drying the chicken either. I recommend the following: After frying, shake off the oil thoroughly, then place the chicken pieces on paper towels for about a minute, flipping them around once to draw out the oil from both sides. Next, transfer them to a wire rack for storage. Don’t let the chicken rest on paper towels, since it will get soggy after prolonged contact.

A stroke of genius

Full disclosure, I stole the idea of the hanging sauce brushes straight from an amazing fried chicken place in Seoul called Kyochon Pilbang. If you find it easier, you can toss the fried chicken straight in the sauce and then serve it. With the double-fry, it will stay crunchy for hours even when drenched in sauce. However, I’ve found that the experience of brushing on your preferred sauce at the table is a really fun gimmick. Plus, it keeps the leftover sauce a little cleaner when compared to dipping the chicken straight in.

All three sauce recipes are at the bottom of the page!

On the ingredients

As for the chicken pieces, I like to buy a mix of wings, drumsticks, and (my favorite) boneless chicken thighs. Drumsticks are the thickest and juiciest, so they often get soggy faster than the other two. To mitigate that, you can make dedicated drumstick batches and deep-fry them a minute longer each time. The thighs should be cut in half before dry brining. Do not remove any of the skin, as it is essential to a crispy end result, and to keeping the meat juicy all the way. Don’t use chicken breast.

When it comes to banchan (pickled Korean side dishes), I recommend fresher ones that contrast the fatty food. Pickled radish is often served along fried chicken in Korea, but cucumber kimchi is also a good fit. You can also get creative with the toppings; besides sesame and scallions, crushed peanuts and cheese powder are popular choices, too. And finally, when it comes to drinks, nothing goes with fried chicken quite like a cool beer.

Recipe credit

Like most of my recipes, I started this one out by basing it largely on an existing one, specifically the Korean Fried Chicken recipe by Korean Bapsang. I’ve since practiced it many times, made changes to the ingredients and steps (sometimes very few, sometimes many), and written up as much additional advice as I could based on my own experience.

As mentioned above, the hanging brushes idea is taken from Kyochon Pilbang. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for fried chicken in Seoul; in Busan, I really liked Namsun Chicken. Nene Chicken is a very solid international chain, at least based on the locations I’ve been to in Tokyo’s Koreatown.

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5 from 1 vote

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Korean Fried Chicken

The best chicken in the world, and it's not even close.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Dry brining (at least 2 hours)1 day d

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 4 people

Equipment

• 1 mid-sized pot, pan, or wok for deep-frying ideally bottom-heavy, e.g. cast iron
• 1 Thermometer for the oil
• 1 spider skimmer or metal tongs for handling the chicken
• 1 fine-mesh metal skimmer for cleaning the oil
• 1 food brush for each sauce optional
• 1 large wire rack with drip pan optional

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

For the chicken

• 2 kg mixed chicken parts with skin drumsticks, wings, boneless thighs
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1.5 tsp table salt for the dry-rub
• 0.5 tsp black pepper for the dry-rub
• 1 block firm vegetable fat or any oil suited for deep-frying

For the batter

• 120 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder or onion powder
• 100 g potato starch or corn starch
• 350 ml water

Garnish & sides (optional)

• some white sesame
• 1 stalk scallion
• 1-3 sauces of your choice see separate recipes!
• any banchan of your choice e.g. pickled radish, cucumber kimchi

Instructions

Dry brine the chicken

• Gather all your chicken pieces in a large bowl. If using boneless chicken thighs, cut them in half first.
• Peel and finely mince or grate the piece of ginger.
• Thoroughly mix the ginger, table salt, and pepper into the chicken.
• Store in the fridge for 2 to (ideally) 24 hours.

Prepare sides & garnish

• In the meantime, make the desired sauce(s) according to the recipe(s) below.
• Prepare any banchan you like. I recommend something fresh and/or acidic like pickled radish or cucumber kimchi. Classic cabbage kimchi always works, of course.
• Thinly slice the scallion for serving.

Prepare deep-frying

• Mix the batter ingredients in a mid-sized bowl until there are no more lumps.
• Heat up the vegetable fat in a heavy mid-sized pot (e.g. cast-iron) over high heat. Start measuring the temperature regularly.
• Take the chicken out of the fridge.
• Get out one plate as well as a wire rack or other surface were your oily chicken can dry later.

Fry in batches

• Once the oil reaches 160° C, begin frying your first batch as follows.
• Dip each chicken piece in the batter and then briefly let excess batter drip off.
• Carefully lower the pieces into the oil individually. Do this in quick succession so they're fried for roughly the same amount of time.
• Keep the batch small enough to ensure the pieces don't touch each other or the sides of the pot. My pot (see pictures) fits about 3 pieces.
• Don't touch the chicken for the first minute to avoid breaking the batter. It's usually enough to flip each piece once half-way through. This ensures even browning, as the heat is higher underneath.
• Measure the temperature often and keep it between 160° C and 165° C to the best of your ability. The oil cools down when chicken is added, but if you keep the heat high at all times, it may overshoot the desired temperature.
• After 6 minutes, your chicken should be lightly golden and fairly crispy.
• Take out each piece and carefully shake off excess oil for a few seconds.
• Store the pieces on a wire rack and/or on paper towels. Flip them once before the second fry to get the oil out from all sides.
• Using a fine mesh strainer, remove any bits of batter left behind in the oil.
• Bring the oil to 160° C again and repeat with the remaining batches of chicken.

Double-fry!

• If you want to keep the finished batches warm as you fry up the rest, heat up your oven to 100° C and place a baking sheet on a wire rack inside.
• Clean the oil once more and bring it up to 175° C.
• Add the fried chicken back into the oil batch by batch. You can now make larger batches, as it's okay for the pieces to touch each other and the pan.
• Deep-fry each batch for 5 minutes, keeping the temperature between 175° and 180°.
• Thoroughly shake off excess oil and again place your chicken on a wire rack or paper towels for drying. Then transfer to the oven if desired.

  To maximize crunchiness, make sure to store the chicken in a single layer, and do not cover it with anything.

Serve!

• You can toss the chicken in the sauce(s) or brush them with it.
• Afterwards, sprinkle with sesame and sliced scallion.
• Serve with banchan. Enjoy!

Just use frozen dumplings, nobody can tell the difference.

The Chef

The recipe can be done pretty quickly, but you need to take some small steps 1-2 hours ahead of time: Start soaking the seaweed for the stock, and take out the frozen dumplings to let them thaw at room temperature. Once the soaking time is up, get back to the kitchen to prepare the eggs, garlic, and green onions as the stock is simmering. With everything ready to go, assembling the dish will take only a few more minutes.

Part the egg

If you are confused by the (optional) decorative egg topping: Yes, the idea is to separate the egg yolk(s) and egg white(s), then fry them up separately, and slice them. I do both in the same pan, specifically a Tamagoyaki pan to get them perfectly rectangular. Afterwards, just tilt it onto a cutting board and slice into thin strips.

Ingredients and variations

A few additional notes on some of the ingredients:

• The mandu I used are pretty big, weighing in around 35g per piece. If yours are smaller (e.g. if you’re using gyoza), increase the amount to get to a total of around 175g per serving. As for the dumpling filling, you can choose whatever you like, but I recommend going for something with a strong flavor (I liked kimchi & pork) since the soup stock is rather mild.
• Manduguk can also be made with beef stock, which is more flavorful, but also takes much more time and effort.
• Like so much Korean food, this soup is often served with cold pickles (such as kimchi) on the side. I left it out to keep the recipe simple, but feel free to add pickles as desired.
• In my experience, it doesn’t matter whether the frozen anchovy for the broth have their heads removed or not. Some recipes differentiate, but I’ve never noticed a difference.

Recipe credit

Like most of my recipes, I started this one out by basing it largely on an existing one, specifically the Manduguk recipe by My Korean Kitchen. I’ve since practiced it many times, made changes to the ingredients and steps (sometimes very few, sometimes many), and written up as much additional advice as I could based on my own experience.

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Manduguk

A simple, but deeply satisfying Korean soup made with frozen dumplings.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Stock soaking time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 2 people

Equipment

• 1 Spice ball or strainer optional

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

For the stock

• 1.5 l water
• 1 sheet kombu seaweed about 10 g
• 30 g dried anchovies frozen

For the soup

• 10 Korean dumplings around 350g
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil roasted
• 2 stalks green onion
• 4 eggs half of which are optional garnish
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• some kizami nori if available

Instructions

Prepare ahead of time

• If using frozen dumplings, take them out of the freezer now for thawing.
• Put the water and kombu into a large pot. Let soak for at least one hour.

Make the stock

• (While you're waiting for the stock over the next few steps, I recommend getting the egg topping and soup preparation steps below done.)
• Put the dried anchovies into a spice ball or strainer and add to the pot with water and kombu.
• Put over medium heat and keep at a simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the kombu and simmer the anchovies for another 10 minutes.
• Remove the anchovies.
•  If desired, strain through a cheese cloth or similar to get rid of any impurities.

Fry the egg topping (optional)

• Separate the yolks and whites of the egg(s) reserved for the topping. Stir in separate bowls until they break.
• Fry them separately in some neutral oil. You can do this sequentially or side by side in one frying pan, especially if you have a tamagoyaki pan.
• Transfer to a cutting board and slice them thinly. Set aside for garnish later.

Prepare the soup

• Peel and mince the garlic. Thinly slice the green onions.
• Crack the remaining eggs into a bowl and scramble.

Make the soup

• Bring the soup stock to a boil over medium high heat.
• Add the soy sauce and garlic.
• Once the stock is rolling boiling, add the dumplings. They will be done after around 5 minutes, depending on their size.
• Slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the pot like you would for egg drop soup.
• Add the sesame oil, green onion slices, and salt.
• Spread the soup to bowls and top with the mandu.
• Garnish with the seaweed and optional egg white and yolk (see photos).

Adding cheese to just about anything has never been a mistake.

The Chef

Dakgalbi is often eaten with rice, but ever since I had a cheesy noodle variation at a restaurant in Hongdae, it instantly became my favorite. It came with a clear, cold soup that contrasted it perfectly (and in my case a cool Chilsung Cider), as well as fresh green onions on the side. In a specialized restaurant like this, the Dakgalbi is fried on a built-in stovetop right at the table. However, this is not necessary as a cast iron pan also keeps it warm for some time.

Some notes on the ingredients (left for the sauce, right for the stir-fry ):

• Korean curry powder might be hard to come by, but it should not be skipped. I found Ottogi curry medium at my local Asian grocery store.
• As for the chicken, breast also works if you cannot find deboned, skinless chicken thighs, or cannot be bothered to remove the bone and/or skin yourself.
• When it comes to cheese, most recipes online (maybe due to US influence) default to shredded mozzarella, which tastes like nothing to me. I always prefer shredded Emmental cheese or other heartier types.
• Napa cabbage works just as well as green cabbage.
• For the juice, you can use pineapple, apple, or kiwi.

I made a large cheese crater in the middle, and put the pan in the oven for a moment for it to melt properly. If you prefer, you can serve the cheese (as well as the green onion) separately so everyone can sprinkle it over as they please.

Recipe credit

Like most of my recipes, I started this one out by basing it largely on an existing one, specifically the Dakgalbi recipe by Aaron And Claire. (There’s also a video version that deviates in some ways.) I’ve since practiced it many times, made changes to the ingredients and steps (sometimes very few, sometimes many), and written up as much additional advice as I could based on my own experience.

As mentioned above, I first had the cheesy noodle variety at Uri Dakgalbi in Seoul. You should check it out if you’re ever in Hongdae!

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Cheesy Noodle Dakgalbi

A cheesy Dakgalbi variation featuring grated cheese, and instant noodles instead of rice.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Marinating time20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 5 people

Equipment

• 1 wide cast-iron pan

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Marinade

• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp gochugaru or other chili flakes
• 1 tbsp chicken stock just the powder, without water
• 1 tbsp Korean curry powder
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 100 ml pineapple juice or apple juice or kiwi juice
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3.5 tbsp gochujang paste

Stir-fry

• 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 sweet potato small
• 0.25 head green cabbage or napa cabbage
• 2 onions small to mid-sized
• 2 green onions
• 200 g Korean rice cakes stick-shaped
• 200 g shredded cheese desired heartiness
• 2 blocks instant noodles
• some neutral-flavored oil

Instructions

Marinade the chicken

• Peel and finely chop the garlic.
• Thoroughly mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl.
• Cut the chicken into cubes of 2-3cm.
• Add the chicken to the marinade and mix well. Set aside while preparing the rest, for at least 20 minutes.

Prep stir-fry

• Soak the rice cakes in a bowl of water for 15 minutes.
• Cook instant noodles according to package instructions, but stop a minute short to slightly undercook them. They will soften more later. Break them up while cooking and store with some oil to keep them from sticking together.
• Cut the onion and cabbage into thin slices.
• Cut the sweet potato into sticks shaped like French fries.
• Thinly slice the green onion and set aside for serving.

Stir-fry everything

• Put some oil into the cast-iron pan and put it on the stove over medium heat.
• Spread the sweet potatoes and rice cakes in the pan.
• Put the sliced cabbage and onions on top, then the marinated chicken.
• Let it simmer for a bit, then give it a good stir to distribute the marinade. Keep it on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Note: This step might take a while (20+ minutes) if you're making a larger serving amount. The pan is very overcrowded, which is completely fine. The cabbage releases a lot of moisture – keep going until it's less of a soup and more of a sauce. Importantly, the chicken must be done, the rice cakes should be chewy, and the sweet potato should have no more crunch.
• Optional: Preheat the oven to ~180 degrees to help melt the cheese later.
• When the consistency looks good, take it off the heat and stir in all the instant noodles.
• Part it in the middle and fill with cheese. If you want it to melt nicely, put the pan in the pre-heated oven for just 3-5 minutes.
• Serve immediately and sprinkle with green onions. (If you have a stove to keep it warm on the table where it is eaten, that would be perfect.)

What is this food, Korean, Japanese, Italian…?
– Yes.

as Overheard in the hideout

Very little to say about this one since it’s extremely quick and easy to do. There are only things to pay attention to: First, the noodles might get overcooked and mushy. Leave them in the hot water for only about a minute to entangle them, and then quickly drain. Later-on, make sure to add the noodles to the sauce last. Briefly stir to coat them fully, and then serve immediately. Second, the sauce may start sticking to the bottom of the pan while simmering. To prevent this, don’t exceed medium heat at any point, and regularly scrape the bottom with a soft spatula.

Crucially, by “fresh” udon I mean the type pictured below: round and wet, but shelf-stable packets of pre-cooked noodles that only need to be briefly reheated. I have not attempted this recipe with dried noodles, and therefore can’t tell you if it works or what the measurements are.

The recipe is moderately hot if you are used to spicy food, but not appropriate for complete spiciness beginners. Feel free to increase or reduce the amount of gochujang to adjust it to your liking.

Recipe credit

I’ve seen various versions of this somewhat viral recipe online. Mine, believe it or not, started out largely based on the Samsung Food Gochujang Udon recipe. I’ve since practiced it many times, made changes to the ingredients and steps (sometimes very few, sometimes many), and written up as much additional advice as I could based on my own experience.

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5 from 1 vote

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Gochujang Udon

Spicy udon noodles in a thick and creamy parmesan sauce, as tasty as it is easy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• 20 g butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 200 g heavy cream
• 100 g parmesan cheese
• 400 g "fresh" udon noodles not dried
• some pepper
• some table salt
• 2 stalks scallions

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

• Put a small pot of water on the stove over high heat.
• Grate the parmesan.
• Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic and set aside in a bowl together.
• Thinly slice the scallions and set aside for garnish at the end.
• Once the water is boiling, take the pot off the stove and put the fresh udon noodles inside. Carefully separate them without breaking them. Drain after about one minute and set aside.

Fry

• Add the butter to a mid-sized non-stick pan and set to medium high heat.
• Once hot, add the chopped shallot and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the gochujang for about 30 seconds.
• Pour in the heavy cream and keep stirring until well integrated. It should be lightly simmering.
• Add the parmesan. (Reserve a little to sprinkle over at the end if you want.)
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Once the parmesan is fully dissolved, add the noodles and stir until they are fully coated.
• Distribute to plates or bowls and sprinkle with reserved parmesan and sliced scallions.

It’s like… tteokbokki plus.

A Patron

Broth is boss

If you have the time, I recommend you make the broth fresh for ideal results. It takes just three ingredients and some time without much supervision. In case you don’t have anchovies at home already, you can usually find them in the frozen section. Some recipes explicitly call for them to have or not have the head removed, but I haven’t found that to make a difference in my broth.

Don’t worry, though; the recipe is still a banger if you skip this and just use instant dashi powder (dashi no moto).

Stew it yourself

Rabokki is not a soup like you might expect from a dish based on instant ramen, as the liquid will be very thick and sauce-like when you’re done. The sauce makes this dish, so don’t worry too much about having the exact “fillings” and toppings for the stew (besides noodles on rice cakes). Whether your fish cakes are sticks or sheets, if you have green or napa cabbage, if your dumplings are mandu or gyoza, if you use leek or green onions. The filling of the dumplings doesn’t matter much either, but I like it better if they’re more on the mild side, as stronger flavors can clash with the sauce.

As for the noodles, the classic choice would be blocks of instant (wheat) noodles aka ramen or ramyeon noodles. However, I also really like the texture and taste of these frozen Chinese noodles, which I used the day I shot this recipe.

Taste is king, so use whatever ingredients you prefer and let the results speak for themselves. You can also make the dish vegetarian by using a seaweed-based broth or plain water, and skipping the fish cakes. And finally, I’ve seen people online sprinkle cheese on top, which is never a bad idea.

Recipe credit

Like most of my recipes, I started this one out by basing it largely on an existing one, specifically the Rabokki recipe by Miss Hangry Pants. I’ve since practiced it many times, made changes to the ingredients and steps (sometimes very few, sometimes many), and written up as much additional advice as I could based on my own experience.

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Rabokki

Spicy ramen tteokbokki topped with dumplings, eggs, and whatever you like.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 2 people

Equipment

• 1 large spice ball optional

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

For the broth (optional)

• 750 ml water
• 0.5 sheet dasima kelp aka kombu
• 15 g dried anchovies

For the stew

• 1 block instant or ramen noodles or whatever noodles you like
• 150 g Korean rice cakes
• 2-3 fish cakes sheet-shaped
• 0.25 head napa cabbage or green cabbage
• 1 yellow onion small to mid-sized
• 2 stalks green onion or 1/2 stalk of leek
• some neutral oil for frying
• some sesame seeds (black or white) for garnish, optional

For the toppings (optional)

• 2 eggs
• 4-6 mandu or gyoza optional

For the sauce

• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp gochugaru or any chili flakes
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp white sugar
• 1 pinch black pepper

Instructions

Make the broth (optional)

• Note: If you don't feel like making fresh broth, you can put instant dashi powder (dashi no moto) into the water instead, or just use plain water.
• Put the water into a small pot and add the the seaweed. Let it soak for one hour for best results, or proceed with the next steps right away if you don't have time.
• Turn up the heat to high and add the anchovies (ideally in a spice ball) to the water.
• Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, skimming off the foam that gathers on the surface.
• Remove the kelp and let the anchovies simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes.
• Take it off the heat and set aside. If desired, strain through a cheese cloth or similar to get rid of any impurities.

Prep the ingredients

• If using frozen dumplings, remove them from the freezer to thaw ahead of time.
• Soak rice cakes in cold water for 15 minutes.
• Boil the eggs (6 minutes for soft-boiled, 10 minutes for hard-boiled), and set aside.
• Cut onions into thin slices.
• Thinly slice the green onions.
• Cut cabbage into bite-sized chunks.
• Slice the fish cakes into bite-sized strips.
• Finely mince the garlic (or use a garlic press), then thoroughly mix it it with all the other sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Make the stew

• Take out a large frying pan or flat-bottom wok for the stew, a small pot for boiling the noodles, and (if using) a small frying pan for the dumplings.
• Start bringing a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
• As you follow the next steps, once the water boils, put the noodles in. Cook them a minute or two short of the package instructions, drain, and set aside.
• Heat up some oil in a large frying pan or flat-bottom wok.
• Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
• Add the broth and stir in the sauce. Let it come to a boil, then reduce to medium high heat.
• Add the rice cakes. (Make sure they are cooked in the stew for at least 5 minutes.)
• Add the cabbage and fish cakes and let it cook for a few minutes.

Assemble

• In the meantime, if you are adding dumplings, heat up some oil in the small frying pan and fry them.
• Stir the already (under-)cooked noodles into the stew.
• Add some of the green onions, stir for another minute, and take off the heat.
• Peel the eggs and slice into halves.
• Distribute the rabokki in bowls, distribute dumplings and halved eggs on top.
• Sprinkle with remaining green onions as well as sesame seeds.