Rabokki (Ramen + Tteokbokki)

I’ve lost track of the number of exhausting weeknights where my stomach rumbles at 8 p.m. and I realize I haven’t had dinner yet. When this happens, I tend to fix myself a pot of Korean instant ramyun. It’s delicious and cooks before I have another second to think about how hungry and tired I am — a true weeknight savior. But sometimes I’m craving something more substantial that still comes together fast. And that’s when I make rabokki.

Rabokki is a thrifty concept similar to Chapaguri (a portmanteau for Chapaghetti and Neoguri instant ramyun), featured in Bong Joon Ho’s 2019 psychological thriller Parasite. Instead of mixing two types of noodles, rabokki is the addition of ramyun into tteokbokki, chewy Korean rice cakes stir-fried in a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. Rabokki is often served in bunsikjips, or snack shops, all across South Korea as more of a lighter bite; but as I learned in my Korean American family’s kitchen, it can quickly and easily stretch into a heartier main course. The oh-so-satisfying squidgy rice cakes and springy noodles are perfect proof (if you need it) that two carbs are better than one. Strips of fried fish cakes provide a meaty sponginess that helps mop up the glossy red sauce. 

This recipe uses Asian pantry and fridge ingredients I am almost never without. On any given day, I have packs of instant ramyun falling out of my cabinet. Gochugaru and gochujang are my two pantry security blankets; I use them all the time because the kick of nuanced heat they add to dishes like kimchi jjigae and chicken wings is unmatched. I also keep a bag of frozen cylindrical tteok (rice cakes) handy to thaw when I want to make a smaller batch of tteokbokki as a simple snack. Tteok are a great treat in their own right, lightly grilled and dipped into some honey. But that bag of tteok usually chills in my freezer in anticipation of my 8 p.m. hunger pangs — the next of which will probably be tonight.

You’ll start by thawing your rice cakes, which should give you plenty of time to prep the other ingredients. Give your hands a quick rinse and while you’re at it, drain the rice cakes (if they thawed in water) and add 3 cups of water to a pot. Toss in dried anchovies and kombu and bring to a boil to create a soup stock. Remove the stock ingredients and throw in a block of ramyun noodles to hydrate them without fully cooking them. Hydrating the noodles now prevents them from cooking too much later, which can result in a thicker gravy and not the true soupy sauce we want. Transfer the noodles to a bowl, then swirl gochujang, gochugaru, and oligo syrup into the pot to dissolve. 

Enter: the tteok! Add in the cylindrical rice cakes and sliced fish cakes, cooking just until the rice cakes start to soften. Add in the ramen noodles and give the whole mixture a gentle stir to acquaint every ingredient with the soupy sauce. Continue to cook until the noodles are cooked to al dente, then turn off the heat and top with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve on separate plates or eat straight from the communal pot!