An easy 15-minute Korean Rice Cake recipe: Rosé Tteokbokki! A non-traditional dish with chewy rice cakes and a creamy Gochujang sauce. The combination of heavy cream, milk, and gochujang creates a rich sauce with a subtle spicy flavor. Finish with a shower of parmesan cheese and Italian parsley for the best kind of snack, side dish, or light meal!
What is Rosé Tteokbokki?
Rosé Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food made with chewy rice cakes and a creamy sauce. Different from traditional tteokbooki, heavy cream and milk are added. Instead of a bright red, spicy sauce, you get a luscious, creamy one that is mildly spicy, light orange in color, and so delicious!
The inspiration for this dish comes from Rosé pasta, an Italian-style sauce that turns pink (or ”rose”) by combining heavy cream and tomato sauce. In the Korean version, the rosé sauce is a combination of heavy cream and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste).
The creamy twist changes up the flavor profile completely. Instead of relying on anchovy stock and gochujang as the flavor base, it comes instead from the richness of heavy cream, milk, and parmesan cheese. The tteobokki sauce is rich and creamy with just the right amount of spice.
My kids love Rose Tteokbokki and honestly, so do I. The soft and chewy rice cakes soak up every bit of the lush cream sauce! Chewy Korean rice cakes smothered in rose sauce. One of those Korean dishes you can’t stop eating!
More tteokbokki recipes: Cheesy Tteokbokki and Carbonara Tteokbokki.
Ingredients:
- Korean Rice Cakes. Also called Tteok or Dduk. They come in different shapes and sizes. Choose the shape and texture you like best. Use fresh rice cakes, refrigerated rice cakes, or frozen rice cakes.
For gluten free rice cakes, make sure to read the label and ingredient list. Some brands include small amounts of wheat flour or wheat starch.
- Milk. For creamy texture and flavor. I recommend whole milk or 2%.
- Heavy Cream. Adds a lush, creamy flavor. Doesn’t taste the same without it!
- Gochujang. Korean red pepper paste. Adds a spicy kick of flavor.
- Parmesan cheese. Use freshly grated parmesan cheese (not the pre-grated kind) to avoid a grainy texture in the sauce.
- Soy Sauce. Use gluten-free Tamari to make it completely gluten-free.
- Garlic. Lots of freshly minced garlic!
- Sugar. To balance the spice.
- Fish cakes. Thin sheets of Korean fish cake. A classic addition to tteokbokki. Leave it out for a gluten-free or vegetarian version. They can be found in the freezer section at Korean markets. To defrost, leave out at room temperature for 5 minutes until soft enough to cut into strips or triangles.
- Hard boiled eggs. *Optional. It’s classic to add add hard boiled eggs (or soft boiled eggs) to Korean Tteokbokki. They make it more filling and taste good with the sauce.
- Instant Dashi Powder. *Optional. If you have it, add it. I use Hondashi.
How to make Rose Tteokbokki
- Assemble ingredients. To a non-stick large skillet, add the rice cakes, milk, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and instant dashi powder (if using).
- Cook rice cakes. Heat the pan over medium heat. As it heats up, cut the fish cakes into 1-inch strips. When the sauce starts to bubble, add the fish cakes. Stir with a silicone spatula to combine. Continue cooking until the fish cakes have softened and the rice cakes are pleasantly chewy, about 5 minutes.
- Add parmesan + heavy cream. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Add the heavy cream. Stir with the spatula to combine. Keep cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens, another 5 minutes.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with more parmesan cheese and chopped Italian parsley. Cut the hard boiled eggs into halves (if using) and nestle into the sauce on the serving platter. Serve immediately and enjoy!
PRO Tips
- Reduce the sauce. To create a silky, luscious sauce that clings to the tteok, it’s important to cook the sauce long enough. The sauce should not be watery. However, be careful that you don’t reduce the sauce too much, either. *Add more water if it reduces too much.
- Defrost frozen rice cakes. If the rice cakes are frozen, soak in cold water for 15-20 minutes to defrost.
- Rinse refrigerated rice cakes. Sometimes, rice cakes can collect condensation in the fridge. If the rice cakes look slimy, rinse with cold water before adding them to the pan.
- Adjust spice level. The spice level can be adjusted to your preference. For a less spicy sauce, add 1 Tbsp Gochujang (instead of 2 Tbsp). For a spicier sauce, add 1-2 Tbsp of Gochukaru (Korean red pepper flakes) in addition to the Gochujang.
- Prep the eggs first. If you’re adding soft boiled eggs or hard boiled eggs, make them first. The rest of the dish comes together quickly.
FAQ
Tteokbokki tastes best on the day it’s made. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container fro 2-3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave. Make sure to stir the contents of the dish while reheating so the center is not cold. Feel free to add 1-2 Tbsp of water, if needed, to loosen the sauce.
More easy recipes:
- Creamy Kimchi Pasta with Bacon
- Black Sesame Creme Brulee
- Cacio E Pepe Popcorn (Black Pepper + Parmesan)
Easy Creamy Rosé Tteokbokki recipe
Equipment
- Non-stick Skillet
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Korean rice cakes (tteok)
- 1 1/2 cups milk *2% or 1% preferred
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp Gochujang
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp Instant Dashi Powder *optional
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese *plus more for garnish
- 2 sheets Korean Fish Cake
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients. To a large non-stick skillet, add the rice cakes, milk, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and instant dashi powder (if using).
- Cook rice cakes. Heat the pan over medium heat. As it heats up, cut the fish cakes into 1-inch strips. When the sauce starts to bubble, add the fish cakes. Stir with a silicone spatula to combine. Continue cooking until the fish cakes have softened and the rice cakes are pleasantly chewy, about 5 minutes.
- Add parmesan + heavy cream. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. Add the heavy cream. Stir with the spatula to combine. Keep cooking until the sauce reduces and thickens, another 5 minutes.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with more parmesan cheese and chopped Italian parsley. Cut the hard boiled eggs into halves (if using) and nestle into the sauce on the serving platter. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Reduce the sauce. To create a silky, luscious sauce that clings to the tteok, it’s important to cook the sauce long enough. The sauce should not be watery. However, be careful that you don’t reduce the sauce too much, either. *Add more water if it reduces too much.
- Defrost frozen rice cakes. If the rice cakes are frozen, soak in cold water for 15-20 minutes to defrost.
- Rinse refrigerated rice cakes. Sometimes, rice cakes can collect condensation in the fridge. If the rice cakes look slimy, rinse with cold water before adding them to the pan.
- Adjust spice level. The spice level can be adjusted to your preference. For a less spicy sauce, add 1 Tbsp Gochujang (instead of 2 Tbsp). For a spicier sauce, add 1-2 Tbsp of Gochukaru (Korean red pepper flakes) in addition to the Gochujang.
- Prep the eggs first. If you’re adding soft boiled eggs or hard boiled eggs, make them first. The rest of the dish comes together quickly.
