Asian rice cakes

Also known as steamed rice cakes or garaetteok

Close Up Garaetteok Korean Bar Rice Cake Stick of Rounded Rice Cake with Mozarella Cheese Inside.

An easy way to make tteok or garaetteok (Korean rice cakes) that can be used for the traditional Korean street food dish of Tteokbokki, sliced and added to soups or stews.

AuthorHungry PandaDifficultyAdvanced

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time30 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time1 hr

INGREDIENTS
 250 g rice flour + 2 tbsp, add more if necessary
 115 g tapioca starch + 2 tbsp (see note 1)
 2 tsp sugar
 ½ tsp kosher salt
 400 g water, add more water if necessary

TO MAKE THE DOUGH
1

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl aside.

2

Pour the water into a saucepan, and bring to boil, covered.

3

Gradually pour half of the hot boiling water into the bowl with the flours. Stir in the flour with a large fork, chopsticks, or a wooden spoon as you pour the water into the bowl. Once the
water absorbs into the flour, gradually mix in the remaining hot water. Continue stirring until the water is fully absorbed.

4

If you are finding that there is still a lot of loose flour inside the bowl, drizzle some room temperature water into the bowl, about 1 or 2 tbsp at a time and stir.

5

Let the dough cool for about 3 minutes, stirring periodically to release steam. Then, begin kneading the dough. If the dough is still too hot to touch, stir the dough for another 1 to 2 minutes to cool it off, or wear disposable gloves to knead the dough.

6

Knead the dough until you’ve incorporated nearly all the flour into the clump of dough. Occasionally, wipe the dough along the sides of the bowl to catch any loose flour.

7

Turn everything over on a work surface and knead the dough for another 3 minutes. The dough will feel a tacky, however, it shouldn’t be overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tbsp of rice flour and work it into the dough.

8

Shape the dough into a disc. The dough should look relatively smooth.

SHAPE AND CUT THE DOUGH
9

Divide dough into 8 pieces (100g each is fine). Leave one piece of dough out on the work surface. Transfer the other pieces into the bowl and cover it with a towel.

10

Shape the dough into a short, thick log and lay it lengthwise on the surface. Starting from the middle, roll out the dough and work your hands further apart to end with

11

Roll 3 pieces of dough into ropes, then line up the 4 ropes and cut them up into 5cm pieces. The dough will stick to your knife.

12

Transfer all the pieces of cut rice cake onto a baking sheet and cover with a towel while you finish shaping the remaining pieces of dough. If any of the last few pieces of dough have started to dry up and crust over, knead them until they are not dry. Then, roll out the dough into a rope.

13

Line the plates with parchment paper to keep the rice cakes from sticking. Arrange the rice cakes in rows and cover the plates with a towel until you are ready to steam them.

STEAM THE CAKES
14

Fill with water to the 3 mark on your rice cooker bowl (for 8 cup rice cookers) or 2 mark (for 3.5 and 5.5 cup rice cookers).

15

Transfer the rice cakes to the steaming basket, being careful not to overfill the basket (you can do two lots of cooking).

16

Place the steaming basket into the rice cooker inner bowl and set the STEAM function for 10 mins (the countdown will only start when the water comes to temperature).

17

Remove the steaming basket from the rice cooker and let the rice cakes cool. Check if the rice cakes are done steaming by cutting a rice cake and check the center. If you don’t see any solid white spots, they are fully cooked.

18

If steaming more rice cakes, double check the water level is ok and repeat steps 2-4.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS
 250 g rice flour + 2 tbsp, add more if necessary
 115 g tapioca starch + 2 tbsp (see note 1)
 2 tsp sugar
 ½ tsp kosher salt
 400 g water, add more water if necessary

Directions

TO MAKE THE DOUGH
1

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl aside.

2

Pour the water into a saucepan, and bring to boil, covered.

3

Gradually pour half of the hot boiling water into the bowl with the flours. Stir in the flour with a large fork, chopsticks, or a wooden spoon as you pour the water into the bowl. Once the
water absorbs into the flour, gradually mix in the remaining hot water. Continue stirring until the water is fully absorbed.

4

If you are finding that there is still a lot of loose flour inside the bowl, drizzle some room temperature water into the bowl, about 1 or 2 tbsp at a time and stir.

5

Let the dough cool for about 3 minutes, stirring periodically to release steam. Then, begin kneading the dough. If the dough is still too hot to touch, stir the dough for another 1 to 2 minutes to cool it off, or wear disposable gloves to knead the dough.

6

Knead the dough until you’ve incorporated nearly all the flour into the clump of dough. Occasionally, wipe the dough along the sides of the bowl to catch any loose flour.

7

Turn everything over on a work surface and knead the dough for another 3 minutes. The dough will feel a tacky, however, it shouldn’t be overly sticky. If it is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tbsp of rice flour and work it into the dough.

8

Shape the dough into a disc. The dough should look relatively smooth.

SHAPE AND CUT THE DOUGH
9

Divide dough into 8 pieces (100g each is fine). Leave one piece of dough out on the work surface. Transfer the other pieces into the bowl and cover it with a towel.

10

Shape the dough into a short, thick log and lay it lengthwise on the surface. Starting from the middle, roll out the dough and work your hands further apart to end with

11

Roll 3 pieces of dough into ropes, then line up the 4 ropes and cut them up into 5cm pieces. The dough will stick to your knife.

12

Transfer all the pieces of cut rice cake onto a baking sheet and cover with a towel while you finish shaping the remaining pieces of dough. If any of the last few pieces of dough have started to dry up and crust over, knead them until they are not dry. Then, roll out the dough into a rope.

13

Line the plates with parchment paper to keep the rice cakes from sticking. Arrange the rice cakes in rows and cover the plates with a towel until you are ready to steam them.

STEAM THE CAKES
14

Fill with water to the 3 mark on your rice cooker bowl (for 8 cup rice cookers) or 2 mark (for 3.5 and 5.5 cup rice cookers).

15

Transfer the rice cakes to the steaming basket, being careful not to overfill the basket (you can do two lots of cooking).

16

Place the steaming basket into the rice cooker inner bowl and set the STEAM function for 10 mins (the countdown will only start when the water comes to temperature).

17

Remove the steaming basket from the rice cooker and let the rice cakes cool. Check if the rice cakes are done steaming by cutting a rice cake and check the center. If you don’t see any solid white spots, they are fully cooked.

18

If steaming more rice cakes, double check the water level is ok and repeat steps 2-4.

Notes

Asian rice cakes

You can serve the rice cakes warm with sauces like soy and vinegar dumpling sauce, chili oil, or peanut sauce. You can also stir fry the rice cakes, add them to stews, or use them to make tteokbokki.