Non-Spicy Gungjung Tteokbokki (Royal Court Rice Cake)
Gungjung tteokbokki, a traditional non-spicy Korean rice cake stir-fry, was a favorite in royal courts. This quick, easy recipe uses rice cakes, vegetables, and beef in a mild soy sauce to capture old-fashioned Korean flavors in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb rice cakes tteokbokki tteok (about 2-inch long)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/3 lb beef sirloin or rib eye very thinly sliced or use bulgogi beef
- 1/2 small onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 each red and green bell peppers thinly sliced
- 3-4 shiitake mushroom thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds to garnish, optional
For beef marinade
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For non-spicy tteokbokki sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium preferred
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- To marinade beef, mix beef slices with soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss them together well and set aside to marinate. Combine the non-spicy tteokbokki sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the rice cakes and boil for 2 minutes until they're soft and tender. Drain them and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter in it, then add the marinated beef. Stir-fry for about 1 minute and add the onion and peppers. Continue stir-frying for another minute. Then, add shiitake mushrooms and cook until they are softened.
- Add the oiled rice cakes to the skillet. Toss everything well. Drizzle the sauce over the rice cake mixture and continue stir-frying until everything is evenly coated, making sure the rice cakes don’t stick to the pan.
- Turn off the heat and finish by drizzling sesame oil over the top. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or chopped green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
I use a little bit of butter instead of oil when stir-frying the beef and veggies. It adds a subtle savory note. Give it a try; you might find you prefer it. If not, simply switch back to using oil.
For vegans or vegetarians, easily substitute beef with tofu or add extra mushrooms like shiitake or enoki for more flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 522mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg