Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)

Fill a medium bowl with ice water and set it aside. Fill a small saucepan with 3 inches of water, enough to fully submerge the eggs. Do not add the eggs yet. Bring it up to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the water boils, carefully add the eggs. Mine are cold straight from the fridge. Cook them for 8 minutes. Using a large spoon, transfer the eggs into the prepared ice water to stop them from cooking. When the eggs feel cold to the touch, peel and cut them in half lengthwise. Set them aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil and heat it until hot (rippling, but not smoking). Add the onions, cabbage, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently with a large spoon, for about 3 minutes. The vegetables should be translucent and a little browned.

Add the water, tteok, scallions, gochujang, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir until the gochujang is fully dissolved into the sauce.

Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Nudge the tteok to submerge them into the sauce as much as possible. The sauce will reduce and thicken, and the tteok will look glossy. When cooked properly, the tteok is a little chewy, tender, but not mushy. You should be able to cut it with a gentle wiggle with the side of your spoon.

Stir in the sesame oil. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce or sugar. The sauce should be flavorful and a little sweet to balance out the spiciness.

Transfer the tteokbokki to a serving platter. Sprinkle the sesame seeds all over and serve it with the hard-boiled eggs. The perfect bite: Blanket a tteok with a piece of onion and cabbage. Dunk the whole thing into the sauce. Follow with a cooling bite of egg. Love this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!