One of My Favorite Korean Dishes: tteokbokki

I had a breakthrough this week with beginning to guesstimate calories!  One of my favorite meals in Korea is something called tteokbokki (떡뽁이).  I did look online once to try to find the calorie count, and it seemed pretty high.  That was a little disappointing!  However, this week I learned how to make it in a healthier way.

My co-teacher invited me to her apartment for dinner.  I asked if I could be there while she made the meal, so that I can begin to learn how to cook Korean food.  She was all for it.  Naturally, I requested that we make ttoekbokki.  I was thrilled to learn that, for the most part, it’s healthy: stock, scallions, carrots, cabbage, fish cakes (it’s a Korean thing), red pepper paste, red pepper powder, and a little bit of sugar.  Now, the calorie killer is the rice cake (not at all what we think of when we talk about rice cakes in the US).  But all in all, I was glad to see that one of my favorite meals isn’t as bad as I thought calorie wise.

As an added bonus, the homemade version tasted “fresher” and lighter than what you get in the restaurants.  Of course, I shouldn’t have been surprised at that because that’s true everywhere, isn’t it.  Restaurants have a way of ruining even low-calorie meals…like salads.  Such a challenge for our weight loss goals!

Korean rice cake, aka tteok.

If you're curious about trying this fantastic dish, check out this link for a recipe:  http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/10/ddeok-bok-ki-%EB%96%A1%EB%B3%B6%EC%9D%B4/.  

Ode to Tteokbokki

Tteokbokki, tteokbokki!

Our delicious meal: tteokbokki,
kimbap and beer.

I want to make you mine!

So yummy and tasty.

I  can eat you all the time.

I love all your spice,

And the texture of your cake.

You sure do taste nice.

It’s you I will make.

I have you in a dish.

Gotta grab me a beer.

You're the answer to my wish.

I’m addicted…it’s clear!

My fabulous host and cooking
instructor, Kil Na Yeon.