Cascadia Table

I love Korean food, but because two of my daughters and I have celiac disease, we can’t easily eat it at restaurants. Because of this I have been teaching myself how to make Korean food at home. Of all the cuisines we cook, Korean is probably our family’s favorite—especially my daughters’. Because they love it so much, I try to work some Korean dishes into our regular weeknight rotation. While some dishes like Korean BBQ or fried chicken gimbap might not be practical on a Tuesday night, this chicken tteokbokki stew is. It’s simple, satisfying, and is deeply flavorful. Plus, those chewy tteokbokki rice cakes are seriously addictive!

This approach blends the classic preparation of tteokbokki with Dakbokkeumtang a recipe I often make from Maangchi. My weeknight version is versatile, allowing me to use whatever ingredients I have on hand, and it’s simple enough to remember while I’m helping with spelling homework or listening to my teenagers’ as they talk through their day. I like to serve this stew with hot white rice, kimchi and a simple kale salad.

I looked through my fridge and pantry and pulled out the following:

• From the CSA Box: Kale, cabbage, carrots, onion, and scallions.
• Pantry & Fridge Staples: Sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, sweet potato, garlic, dried cayenne chiles, ginger, gochugaru, chicken broth, boneless skinless chicken thighs, gochujang, and tteokbokki rice cakes.

Before I start the stew, I put some sushi rice in the rice cooker. To make the stew, I heat some olive oil in a Dutch oven and sauté the sliced onion until it starts to brown. Then I add the ginger and garlic and cook for one more minute, until they’re fragrant.

Next, I add my chicken, mix it in, and season well with salt and pepper. I also throw in a few dried cayenne peppers. You want to let this all fry for a few minutes until the chicken starts to brown. Then, add the gochugaru, stir, and let the chili flakes fry for a minute before deglazing the pot with a little wine or rice wine.

Now, add the stock, gochujang, the white parts of your green onions, and the sweet potato. If the stock isn’t covering the chicken and vegetables, add enough water to cover. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it cook for about 15 minutes.

As soon as the soup starts simmering, I get my rice cakes soaking. They only need to soak for 10 to 15 minutes—don’t let them go too long! While the rice cakes soaked and the stew simmered, I whipped up a simple kale salad.

After 15 minutes, I drain and rinse the rice cakes and add them to the pot. I cook the stew for another 10 minutes, then add the chopped cabbage and let it cook just until it’s tender. The rice cakes will help to naturally thicken the stew.

A few notes before you cook:

• Gluten-Free Ingredients: If you’re gluten-free like us, be very careful to buy gochujang that is gluten-free. Most brands in mainstream grocery stores are not, but I never have a problem finding gluten-free brands at our local Korean grocery. Amazon is a good resource as well.
• Tteokbokki Rice Cakes: The same rule applies to rice cakes! While most packages at our Korean grocery are gluten-free, some do have added wheat flour, so always check the ingredients carefully. This stew can also be made with sliced rice cakes, but we prefer the classic tubular ones.
• Making it Your Own: This is a dish that’s often different for us depending on what we have on hand. Regular potatoes work well, and so do leafy greens like spinach or Swiss chard. You can also add other veggies like carrots, zucchini, green beans, and mushrooms. While I love this dish with chicken, tofu would work perfectly, and sometimes I even add whole hard-boiled eggs.

Tteokbokki Chicken Stew

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
• 2 dried cayenne peppers
• 2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 4 tbsp white wine or rice wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 sweet potato peeled, chopped 1 inch pieces
• 4 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 scallions chopped whites, greens seperated
• 2 cups cabbage chopped 1 inch pieces
• 1.5 cups tteokbokki rice cakes

Method

 

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Add the sliced ginger and chopped garlic, season well with salt and pepper, and cook for another minute until fragrant.
2. Add the cubed chicken thighs to the pot and season with a pinch of salt. Add the two dried cayenne peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken starts to brown on all sides.
3. Stir in the gochugaru and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Deglaze the pot by pouring in the white wine or rice wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
4. Add the chicken stock, chopped sweet potato, gochujang, the white parts of the scallions, and sugar. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.
5. While the stew simmers, place the tteokbokki rice cakes in a bowl and cover them with warm water. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes to soften.
6. Drain the softened rice cakes and add them to the simmering stew. Cook for 10 minutes. If using, stir in the chopped cabbage and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
7. Garnish the finished stew with the green parts of the scallions. Serve hot with rice.