Gungjung Tteokbokki

• active time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 package Tteokbokki tteok (rice cakes) 떡볶이 떡 (about 1 pound)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 green onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 oz wood ear mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, seeded & sliced

1 cup mung bean sprouts

toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

Soak the rice cakes in a bowl with enough water to cover them for about 20 minutes. If you are using dried wood ear mushroooms, also soak them for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, black pepper, half of the green onion, and half of the sesame oil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small sauce pot.

In a pan, add the cooking oil and the onion. Cook until the onion is slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Then, drain the rice cakes and add them to the pan with half of the sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice cakes are soft and the sauce has thickened.

Drain the mushrooms and trim off any remaining hard bits. Cut into bitesize pieces. Boil the mushrooms for about 5 minutes in the small sauce pot.

Add the bean sprouts, green onions, remaining sesame oil, and the mushrooms to the pan with the rice cakes. Stir to coat everything and kill the heat.

Divide the rice cakes among bowls and pour the remaining sauce over everything. Garnish with sesame seeds.