Tteokbokki with Fish Cake

Method

1. Put 330g rice flour and 1/3 teaspoon salt in a bowl, pour in 250ml boiling water, mix, then knead by hand until the dough is smooth.
2. Divide the dough into small portions, roll each into a long rope, and cut into 3 to 5cm lengths.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil, drop in the pieces and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift them straight into a bowl of ice water.
4. Rinse the leek and slice it on the diagonal, slice the sausage on the diagonal, and cut the Korean fish cake into bite sized squares.
5. Put 300ml water and 2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour in a pan and whisk smooth. Turn on the heat, add 6 tablespoons Korean chili powder and stir until the mixture thickens, then turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon beef seasoning powder, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, set the heat low and stir until the seasoning dissolves, then turn off the heat.
6. Set another pan with 400ml water and 4 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and bring it to a boil. Add the fish cake, leek, sausage, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
7. Add the rice cakes and the sauce, stir until the sauce loosens, and cook for 15 minutes until the liquid thickens and the rice cakes take on the sauce.
8. Ladle into bowls, scatter over a little toasted sesame and serve hot.

Tips

• The water for the dough runs from 250 to 270ml depending on the flour, so dry dough takes more water and slack dough takes more flour.
• Ice water straight after boiling keeps the pieces from sticking to each other.
• A low flame lets the sauce work its way into the middle of each cake.
• Korean fish cake can be swapped for Vietnamese fried fish cake cut into thin slices.
• kOBE Monk Fruit Blend can be swapped for the malt syrup sold in Vietnam.
• Mix the glutinous rice flour into cold water before the stove goes on, because poured straight into hot water it turns lumpy immediately.