Garaetteok (Rice Cake Recipe)

Method19 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose ready wet-milled flour or make your own. With ready flour, skip steps 1–4 and choose either the microwave route (steps 5–9) or steamer route (steps 10–13). To make flour, rinse the optional 535 g (2 1/2 cups) short- or medium-grain rice until the water runs clear. Cover with water and soak about 12 hours or overnight; keep covered in the refrigerator during hot or humid weather.

   Uses 535 g short- or medium-grain rice (2 1/2 cups), only if making flour · Water, as needed for rinsing and overnight rice soaking

2. 2

   Step 2: For the homemade-flour route, drain the soaked rice well in a fine-mesh strainer for about 1 hour to remove surface moisture.

   Drain soaked rice · 60 minUses Soaked short- or medium-grain rice

3. 3

   Step 3: Grind the drained rice in a powerful food processor until flour-like. Work in batches if needed, stopping to scrape down and redistribute the grains.

   Uses Drained soaked rice

4. 4

   Step 4: Sift the ground rice in small batches, then sift again. Regrind and re-sift coarse grains until very fine. This makes about 4 1/2 cups flour. Measure only 2 cups (300 g) for the rice cakes; freeze the extra flour in an airtight container for later use.

   Uses Ground wet rice

5. 5

   Step 5: Microwave route only: combine your chosen 2 cups wet-milled flour with the cornstarch (1 Tbsp), salt (1 tsp) and the first 1/4 cup boiling water in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix, then add a second 1/4 cup boiling water and mix again. It should be easy to stir rather than stiff like cookie dough; use a small additional spoonful of boiling water only if flour moisture requires it.

   Uses 2 cups (300 g) ready wet-milled flour, only if using ready flour · 2 cups (300 g) homemade wet-milled flour, only if making flour · 1 Tbsp cornstarch · 1 tsp fine salt · First two 1/4-cup boiling-water additions (1/2 cup total) · Extra boiling water only if needed

6. 6

   Step 6: Cover the microwave bowl with cling film, leaving a small vent. Microwave on high for 2 minutes in a 1250 W microwave.

   First microwave cooking · 2 minUses Microwave rice-cake mixture

7. 7

   Step 7: Carefully uncover the hot bowl and mix in the remaining 1/4 cup boiling water. Cover with a vent again and microwave on high for another 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove the bowl.

   Second microwave cooking · 2 minUses Part-cooked microwave rice dough · Remaining 1/4 cup boiling water

8. 8

   Step 8: Line a board with a silicone mat or several layers of cling film. Carefully transfer the hot microwave-cooked dough to it.

   Uses Microwave-cooked rice dough

9. 9

   Step 9: Protect your hands with thick cotton gloves under food-safe gloves, or thick heat-resistant food-safe gloves. Knead and pound the hot dough with a pestle for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Skip the steamer route and choose either tteokbokki shaping (steps 14–16) or tteokguk shaping (steps 17–19).

   Uses Transferred microwave rice dough

10. 10

    Step 10: Steamer route only: combine your chosen 2 cups wet-milled flour with the cornstarch (1 Tbsp) and salt (1 tsp). Gradually add the 1/4 cup boiling steamer-route water, mixing until lightly hydrated, not wet or fluid like batter. If necessary, add a little extra boiling water according to the flour moisture.

    Uses 2 cups (300 g) ready wet-milled flour, only if using ready flour · 2 cups (300 g) homemade wet-milled flour, only if making flour · 1 Tbsp cornstarch · 1 tsp fine salt · 1/4 cup boiling water, for steamer route · Extra boiling water only if needed

11. 11

    Step 11: Set water below a steamer and bring it to a boil. Line the steamer with a silicone steaming mat, perforated parchment or a clean tea towel. Spread the lightly hydrated flour mixture in small pieces over the liner. Cover and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.

    Steam rice dough · 15 minUses Lightly hydrated steamer rice mixture · Water, as needed below the steamer

12. 12

    Step 12: Line a board with a silicone mat or several layers of cling film. Transfer the hot steamed dough onto the mat.

    Uses Steamed rice dough

13. 13

    Step 13: Protect your hands with thick cotton gloves under food-safe gloves, or thick heat-resistant food-safe gloves. Knead and pound for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Choose either tteokbokki shaping (steps 14–16) or tteokguk shaping (steps 17–19).

    Uses Transferred steamed rice dough

14. 14

    Step 14: Tteokbokki shapes only: divide the elastic dough from your chosen cooking route into 5 equal pieces. Follow steps 15–16 and skip the tteokguk shapes.

    Uses Elastic dough from the microwave route only · Elastic dough from the steamer route only

15. 15

    Step 15: Lightly coat your palms with the 1/2 tsp sesame oil and rub it over the five dough pieces to prevent sticking.

    Uses 5 tteokbokki dough pieces · 1/2 tsp sesame oil, for the chosen shaping route

16. 16

    Step 16: Roll each oiled piece into a cylinder 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 inch) wide. Trim the ends and cut into 6 cm (about 2.5 inch) lengths. The cakes are ready for tteokbokki or another stir-fry; freeze cut cakes in a sealed bag for up to 1 month if not using them fresh.

    Uses Oiled tteokbokki dough pieces

17. 17

    Step 17: Tteokguk shapes only: divide the elastic dough from your chosen cooking route into 2 equal pieces. Use this route instead of steps 14–16.

    Uses Elastic dough from the microwave route only · Elastic dough from the steamer route only

18. 18

    Step 18: Lightly coat your palms with the same single 1/2 tsp sesame-oil supply for this chosen route. Rub it over the two pieces and roll into cylinders 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 inch) wide.

    Uses 2 tteokguk dough pieces · 1/2 tsp sesame oil, for the chosen shaping route

19. 19

    Step 19: Cover the larger cylinders and refrigerate about 1 hour until firm for cleaner slicing, or slice sooner if necessary. Cut diagonally into ovals about 0.5 cm (0.2 inch) thick. The cakes are ready for tteokguk; freeze the cut cakes in a sealed bag for up to 1 month if not using them fresh.

    Firm rice cakes for slicing · 60 minUses Tteokguk rice-cake cylinders