Rose Tteokbokki

Rose Tteokbokki. Chewy bouncy rice cakes simmered in a delicious smoky spicy sweet cream sauce with bacon, fish cakes and cheese! A milder version of your usual Spicy Tteokbokki thanks to the cream sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes! Great as a meal or heavy snack.

Tteokbokki has always been a favourite of mine but when I’m not in the mood for tongue-on-fire spice, I like making this Korean Rose Tteokbokki which is much milder. It still has a kick to it so if you cannot handle spice at all, this is not the dish for you. But if you’re trying to become more tolerable to spice, this is a great way to start!

Another name for this kind of Tteokbokki is Rose Carbonara Tteokbokki or Rose Cream Tteokbokki thanks to the yummy bacon and creamy sauce.

What does Rose Tteokbokki taste like?

Imagine soft chewy rice cakes that have cooked in a mild smoky sweet cream sauce with chewy bacon and flavourful fish cakes. The sauce is accented with aromatic flavours from green onions and garlic. The Swiss and mozzarella cheese ties this dish altogether offering a salty rich taste to the dish. The cheese is not to be skipped unless you cannot tolerate dairy.

Easy to make!

My easy rose Tteokbokki recipe only takes about 30 minutes of your time. First, prepare all your ingredients ahead of time. Then in a non-stick pan, fry your bacon without oil (enough will release from the bacon). Once the bacon is halfway cooked, add green onions and garlic and let these soften.

Next pour your choice of milk (you can use dairy-free unflavoured milk), gochugaru, gochujang, sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir and mix everything together so that the milk becomes a rose colour.

Then add in fish cakes and rice cakes. Allow this to simmer on low-medium until the sauce becomes thick and creamy, and your rice cakes have become squishy. Stirring every now and then.

Once the sauce is thick and creamy, add your Swiss and mozzarella cheese on top. Garnish with green onions. Remove off heat and enjoy!

Use non-frozen rice cakes!

I highly recommend non-frozen Korean rice cakes to prevent splintering in the sauce. When you use ones that are non-frozen, then freeze and thaw them, they will splinter in the sauce even if you soak them in water. The freezing process changes the consistency.

Tips for making Rose Tteokbokki

Below are tips on making the best rose Tteokbokki recipe:

• Best to use non-frozen Korean rice cakes to avoid splintering in the sauce.
• Prepare all your ingredients ahead of time.
• Simmering this dish over low-medium heat is the key. This prevents the rice cakes from overcooking and becoming mushy.
• Monitor your sauce. What you’re looking for is a creamy texture. Because we are not using full fat cream, we’re going to rely on low-medium heat to help evaporate the moisture from the milk, so the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Do not crank the heat up to high or it’ll cause for mushy overcooked rice cakes.

FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions about my Rose Sauce Tteokbokki:

Is Rose Tteokbokki spicy?

Yes, it still has a kick but it is milder than the original Tteokbokki thanks to the cream sauce. If you’re looking for a mild version of Tteokbokki, check out my recipe here.

What is Rose sauce made of Korean?

My rose sauce consists of milk, gochujang, gochugaru, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and green onions. Some recipes use tomato sauce with cream.

What is Tteokbokki made of?

The original Tteokbokki dish is made of chewy rice cakes simmered in a kelp broth and seasoned with gochujang, gochugaru, sesame oil, soy sauce paired with fish cakes, boiled eggs and sometimes sausage. If you’d like that recipe, check it out here.

Why are my rice cakes falling apart?

This has happened to me before too and it always happens when I use rice cakes that come non-frozen, then I freeze and thaw them for later. So that’s why. Next time, use non-frozen rice cakes and they will hold their shape better!

Why is my Tteokbokki Sauce not thick?

After you add in the rice cakes, it’s important to simmer the sauce over low-medium heat for a good 7-10 minutes uncovered until it gets thick and creamy to allow for the sauce to evaporate the additional moisture. The rice cakes offer a starch to the cream sauce to make it thicker.

Do you need to soak Korean rice cakes?

If you’re using non-frozen rice cakes, no you will not need to soak them. Just a good rinse in cold water will do.

But if you’re using pre-frozen ones you will need to soak them in warm water until they become softer (about 3 hours).

Can I use dairy-free milk and cheese?

Yes! Use unflavoured milk for this recipe. Feel free to use a vegan cheese that mimics the taste of Swiss and mozzarella.

Can I omit the bacon?

I wouldn’t recommend it. It offers a wonderful and deep smoky taste to the sauce that the dish wouldn’t be as flavourful without it. But if you must, I can’t stop you!

Where can I buy Korean rice cakes?

Any Korean grocer will have them sold in their refrigerated section.

What kind of pan should I use for this dish?

I would recommend using a non-toxic non-stick pan as the cream sauce and cheese will heavily stick.

Can I reheat this for later?

Yes re-heat on the stove top or in the microwave for 90 seconds or until the rice cakes are soft and chewy again.

Where do I find fish cakes in sheet form?

Korean grocers will sell this specific item in the refrigerated section. If you can't find them, round fish balls will work too.

Other recipes you may like!

If you enjoyed this Rose Tteokbokki, please check out my other Korean inspired recipes:

MILD TTEOKBOKKI RICE CAKES
JAJANG TTEOKBOKKI
KOREAN BULGOGI CHICKEN WINGS
BULGOGI BEEF TRIANGLE KIMBAP
BULGOGI BEEF RAMEN
KOREAN SEAFOOD PANCAKE (HAEMUL PAJEON)
MILD BUDAE JJIGAE ARMY STEW
FISH CAKE KIMBAP
DOSIRAK KOREAN LUNCH BOX
CHEESE KIMCHI KIMBAP

For this recipe

You will need the following rose Tteokbokki ingredients:

• 2 heaping cups Korean rice cakes (non-frozen kind) rinsed under cold water and strained
• 2 strips bacon sliced into bite size pieces
• 1 cup fish cake in sheet form cut into bite size pieces
• 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
• ¾ tsp Garlic minced
• 1 tbsp Gochujang mild
• ½ tsp Gochugaru
• 2 cups whole milk if you're dairy-free substitute with unflavoured dairy-free milk
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce regular kind
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
• ½ cup Swiss cheese shredded
• 1 stalk green onions (optional for garnish) finely chopped

How to make Rose Tteokbokki

1. In a non-stick pan set over medium heat without oil, fry your bacon until it’s halfway cooked. Add in green onions and garlic. Cook for 20 seconds or until green onions are fragrant.
2. Then pour in milk and add gochugaru, gochujang, sesame oil and soy sauce. Mix until the sauce becomes a rose colour.
3. Stir in fish cakes and rice cakes. Allow this to simmer on low-medium heat until the sauce becomes thick and creamy, stirring every now and then. Do not cover.
4. Once the sauce is thick and creamy and your rice cakes are squishy, top off with mozzarella and Swiss cheese. Garnish with green onions, optional. Enjoy!

Give it a try!

Well, I hope you give my Rose Tteokbokki a try! It always excites me when you make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

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Take care,
Christie

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