Vegan Rabokki, is vegan tteokbokki (spicy Korean rice cake) with ramyun in a savoury, sweet, and spicy sauce. Add fried tofu for protein and texture, and cabbage for extra crunch!
This is one of my favourite dishes to eat when I need something spicy and comforting. I’ve really enjoyed exploring Korean cuisine lately. Tteokbokki sauce is thick, savoury, and spicy with a hint of sweetness.
Balance the sweetness for this vegan rabokki to your preference: you can start with less sugar, taste, and adjust. I use oliosaccharide (a type of corn syrup) to create a silkier sauce, but brown sugar works just fine too!
Typically tteok (Korean Rice Cake) comes in the stick form, which is usually used for tteokbokki. Sometimes go for the sliced coin versions of it because it cooks faster. Both work here!
Traditionally, Koreans use anchovies to give it that salty punch, but I opted for soy sauce (tamari) and mushroom broth powder to deliver that same umami, fermented flavour.
Vegan rabokki (or without the ramen as vegan tteokbokki) has quickly become a staple for me because I like to stockpile frozen rice cake! It’s easy to whip this up anytime I need something spicy and comforting fast. I’ve also been missing watching Mommytang’s mukbangs and it’s reminding me of her jovial laugh and penchant for life.
Recipe adapted from Mommytang & Maangchi
Vegan Tteokbokki/Rabokki
Ingredients
- 3-4 cups water (add more if you like it saucier, stick with 3 cups for a regular sauce)
- Optional: 4-5 squares dried kelp
- 1 package of rice cakes (630 g/23 oz) - fresh or frozen, soak in some water to thaw if frozen
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 tbsp tamari (you can also use 1 tbsp tamari, 1 tbsp vegan fish sauce)
- 2 tbsp gochugaru (can reduce to 1 tbsp if you want it to be less spicy)
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp MSG or 1 tsp mushroom broth powder
- 2 tbsp oliosaccaride OR brown sugar
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3-4 green onions, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- Optional: fried tofu, thinly sliced into triangles
- Optional: ramyun/ramen cake
To Garnish
- toasted sesame seeds to garnish
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (I used 3-4 leaves of Taiwanese cabbage)
Instructions
- In a wide saucepan, bring the water and dried kelp and boil for 10-15 minutes to start the broth. If you don't want to add kelp, simply bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, thaw the rice cakes if needed.
- In a bowl, combine the gochujang, tamari, minced garlic, msg/mushroom broth powder, oliosaccaride/brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. Stir to make a paste.
- Once the broth has boiled for 10-15 minutes, remove the kelp, then add the thawed rice cakes, sauce paste, and stir to dissolve the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes until the rice cakes are tender and nearly cooked through.
- Add the green onion, sliced fried tofu, and a ramen cake if you're making rabokki, and stir to heat through, another 2-3 minutes. The rice cakes should be tender and cooked through, and the sauce thickened.
- Serve with shredded cabbage and toasted sesame seeds on top!
Notes
If you want to make this into rabokki, use 4 cups of water for the broth and add the ramen cake when you add the green onions and cook until tender!
Cadry says
This sounds so good! I went through a rice cake phase about a year ago, and then it fell away. Now that it’s getting cooler again, I need to revisit them with this recipe! Is Mommytang not doing mukbangs anymore? Around the same time as the rice cake phase, I was watching her videos regularly.
Lisa Le says
She hasn’t posted regularly for maybe a year now? She comes sporadically back every now and then. I hope she’s okay. I think she’s mostly focusing on family but I know she had this like, one stalker person who was REALLY aggressive and threatening, it was unreal.
Tara says
First – cryptic but cathartic post was so relateable. I have tried to convince myself that I’m not hanging on to anger or hurt from a past experience, but there it is lurking in the shadows. I love that you were able to open the door a let it go. That’s a special skill and not easy to do!
Second- those rice cakes! I had this once before at a Korean restaurant and loved it! When I went back the placed had closed. Wah! It’s good to know what the heck I was eating and that I can find it in K-town grocery. I’ll have to dial back the spice for my bland, wonder bread taste palete. I can’t handle the spice!
Nate Leech says
I couldn’t find frozen rice cakes at my local asian grocery stores. Would the dry version be an okay substitute?
Lisa Le says
Yeah! You’d just have to soak them and then cook them so it takes a bit longer, I’m not sure for how long since I typically just use the frozen kind.
victoria says
Muito boa essa receita, como sempre fazendo postagens de receitas interessantes.
Valerie says
The only rice cakes I know are at this link. Are they the same thing? https://www.google.ca/search?safe=active&biw=1294&bih=677&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=rice+cakes+quaker&oq=rice+cakes+qu&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0l4j0i8i30k1l6.15894.16070.0.19588.2.2.0.0.0.0.101.181.1j1.2.0….0…1.1.64.psy-ab..0.2.178….0.a6gHh5PhN3k#imgrc=Awmd8q1gnd-vRM:
Lisa Le says
Hi Valerie! No these are different, they’re like a really thick, chewy rice-based…. pasta I guess would be the closest thing. They come in either stick form (I posted a picture of it here) or it’s in those sliced coins like in the picture.
Shanell says
Hello. How long does it usually take to simmer the cakes until chewy? Thx
Lisa Le says
It depends on the type of rice cake you use. It’s between 5-15 minutes, you’ll have to taste to check
Angélica Rodrigues says
Delicia!
Char says
Hi just a question regarding the nutritional data.. how does this recipe contain 101g of fat? Not that it will stop me from making this, because it looks like my ideal meal, and I have just moved very close to an Asian supermarket where I could spend hours browsing! Just curious as to where the fat comes from..
Lisa Le says
WHOA! My recipe plugin decided to add nutritional data on its own that’s wild. Definitely not that much fat in this dish haha. The only fat would be from the toasted sesame seeds honestly haha
Lola says
What the fuck is mushroom soup power lmao
Lisa Le says
Mushroom broth powder is like a granulated bouillon that is very common in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine.
Nicole says
This was sooooo good and super easy. Ate it for dinner tonight and not gonna lie, will probably make it again tomorrow too :-). I added zucchini and mushrooms and it was taaaaasty!
Drorit says
Love your Recipes Thank You.
Leia says
I love this recipe so much, I can’t stop making it! I love how quick and satisfying it is, it feels like junk food but it’s not. Amazing stuff
Lizzie says
I loved this so much I made it twice in one weekend! I’ve followed you on Instagram for ages and always loved how adventurous you are with trying new things. Didn’t have absolutely everything in the ingredients so improvised – a metal tea infuser filled with nori + a couple of dried shiitake for the “fish” broth, and frozen tofu puffs which soaked up the delicious sauce like little flavour sponges – just amazing – and so easy! Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge Lisa, you’re fab 🩷