Rabokki (Ramen with Tteokbokki)

5 from 5 votes

This rabokki recipe features instant ramen noodles and chewy rice cakes, all coated in the most delicious sweet and spicy sauce. It’s the ultimate quick and delicious comfort food meal for busy weeknights!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings:

Calories: 925kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

250 g rice cakes (garaetteok) (tubular shaped, approx. 1 cup)
1 package instant noodles (Korean style have the chewiest texture, Nongshim's Shin or Neoguri)
1 sheet fish cake (or 3-4 fish balls)
1 small onion (sliced, approx ½ cup)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (drizzled at the end)

Broth Ingredients

3¼ cups water
1½ tablespoons hondashi dashi powder (or 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, or shiro dashi)
½ cup bonito flakes

Rabokki Sauce

3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) (Korean pepper paste)
2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes, see notes for heat levels)
1 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped, approx. 1 tablespoon)

Additional Add-ins (Pick 2)

1 cup grated carrots and finely sliced cabbage (1 cup in total)
1 slice American cheese slice (add on top right before eating)
1-2 eggs (soft or medium boiled, for 6-7 minutes)
hot dog slices or leftover meat
¼ cup kimchi (roughly chopped)

Garnishes

1-2 stalk green onions (finely chopped)
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

Prepare the Ingredients

Peel 1 small onion and slice it, set it aside for later
Cut 1 sheet fish cake into small pieces and set aside for later
Finely 1-2 stalk green onions and set it aside for the very end as a garnish.
If you are using any Add-Ins (boiled eggs, kimchi, extra cheese, hot dogs, carrot or cabbage), prepare them now.

Make the Rabokki Sauce

Finely chop or grate 2 cloves garlic and place it in a small bowl.
In the same small bowl, add 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), 2 teaspoons gochugaru, 1 tablespoons sugar and mix everything together. Set it aside for later.

Making the Rabokki Broth

In a pot, bring 3¼ cups water cups of water to a simmer on medium-low heat.
Once the water is simmering, add in ½ cup bonito flakes, and 1½ tablespoons hondashi dashi powder (or 3 tablespoons of soy sauce) and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Once it has finished simmering, scoop out and discard the bonito flakes.

Cooking the Rabokki

Adjust the stove up to Medium heat.
Add in the rabokki sauce, 250 g rice cakes (garaetteok), and sliced onions (and optional carrots and cabbage), and cook it for 6 minutes. If you are using frozen rice cakes, you will need to add an extra 1-2 minutes.
Stir everything until it is well combined and stir it frequently so that the rice cakes don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
After 6 minutes, the sauce will be thicker. Try a rice cake, it should be soft and chewy. If it is still tough, add 1 more minute and keep stirring.
Add in 1 package instant noodles (without the seasoning pack), and sliced fish cakes (or hotdogs) and cook for another 3 minutes. If you are using thinner instant noodles, cook it for 1-2 minutes instead.
Turn off the heat. Do a quick taste test and adjust the sauce to your liking and then drizzle 1 teaspoon sesame oil over the whole dish.
If you are adding cheese, kimchi, or boiled egg, add it now.
Garnish with green onions, and enjoy!

Notes

Gochugaru Spice Level: The heat of this dish can be customized to your taste. You can tweak the spiciness of your rabokki by adjusting the amount of gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) as follows:
- Mild = 0-1 teaspoon
- Medium = 2 teaspoons
- Spicy = 3+ teaspoons
Extra Rice Cakes: If you have extra rice cakes, you can store it in a ziploc bag and freeze it.
Use Fresh Rice Cakes If Possible (garaetteok): I find the rice cakes that are fresh in the fridge have a much better texture and chewier than the frozen ones. The frozen ones tend to be drier and cracked which break apart more easily while simmering which will make a thicker sauce more quickly.
How To Make One Serving: This recipe makes two servings. To make a smaller portion for just one person, you can cut all the ingredients in half (including the instant noodles) and cook it in a smaller pot, so the broth is high enough to cook the ramen.

Nutrition