Hot and spicy rice cake(Ddeokbokki)

                        So, with the homemade rice cake, I finally made Ddeokbokki.
                        Very delicious!  Hot, spicy, chewy...


          Recipe: Maangchi
      Ingredients
      500g cyclinder shaped rice cake---use more if not adding eggs and fish cake
      4 cups water
      7 large dried anchovies (heads and intestines removed)
      6x8 inch dried kelp
      1/3 cup hot pepper paste
      1 tbsp hot pepper flakes
      1 tbsp sugar
      3 green onions (cut into 3 inch long pieces)
      2 hard boiled eggs, shelled (optional)
      1/2 pound fish cakes (optional)

hot pepper paste, hot pepper flake and green onion

top left:  Korean fish cake  and dried kelp
bottom left:  anchovy and homemade rice cake
( picture shown is anchovy powder,  I used dried anchovy in the end as I heard this would not as tasty)

It is such a tasty, clear soup.
( here I just added and the fish cake, kelp and anchovies had to be taken out after 15 minutes of boiling

keep on going...til sauce gets slightly more thickened than this.

     Method
     1.  Add the water, dried anchovies and dried kelp to a shallow pot of pan.

     2.  Boil for 15 minutes over medium high heat without the lid.

     3.  Mix together the sauces-- hot pepper paste, hot pepper flakes and sugar in a small bowl.  Remove the anchovies ad kelp.  Add in the rice cake, sauces, green onions and optional fish cakes and hard boiled eggs. It will come up to about 2 1/2 cups.

     4.  Stir gently when it starts to boil.  Keep stirring until the rice cakes turns soft and the sauce thickens and looks shinny (takes about 10 to 15 minutes).

     5.  Remove from heat and serve hot.

     note: If you are using freshly made rice cake, it will take shorter time to cook through. Frozen type need to be thawed and soaked in cold water to soften before cooking.  Also, take note not to over cook the rice cakes as it will turn soggy and not tasty.