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Rabokki (Ramen + Tteokbokki)

This recipe guides you through making Rabokki, a popular Korean street food that combines chewy tteokbokki rice cakes with savory instant ramen noodles. It features a spicy, sweet, and umami-rich broth made from dried anchovy and kombu dashi, seasoned with gochujang and gochugaru, for a deeply satisfying meal.
Print Recipe
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 10 people
Calories 2331.9 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot For simmering broth and cooking all ingredients
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Chef's knife
  • 1 Fine-Mesh Sieve or Strainer To remove dashi ingredients
  • 1 Measuring Spoons and Cups For accurate ingredient measurements

Ingredients
  

Main

  • About 5 1/2 ounces frozen fried fish cake sheets 3 to 4, such as Choripdong
  • 10 ounces frozen Korean rice cake sticks 30 to 32, such as Hansang (see Recipe Notes)
  • 3 medium scallions
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 5 medium about 5-inch dried anchovies
  • 1 about 4x1-inch piece dried kombu
  • 1 about 4.2-ounce package Korean instant ramen noodles, such as Nongshim Shin Original Ramyun
  • 2 tablespoons gochujang pepper paste
  • 2 tablespoons oligo syrup or light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon gochugaru red chili powder preferably fine
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, combine 3 1/2 cups water, dried anchovies, and dried kombu. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove and discard anchovies and kombu, reserving the dashi broth.
  • While the dashi simmers, thaw and separate frozen rice cake sticks. Slice fish cake sheets into bite-sized pieces and thinly slice the scallions.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together gochujang, oligo syrup, and gochugaru to create the sauce paste.
  • Add the separated rice cakes and sliced fish cakes to the dashi broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
  • Stir the prepared sauce paste into the simmering broth until fully dissolved. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice cakes begin to soften and become chewy.
  • Add the instant ramen noodles (and any included seasoning packet from the ramen, if desired) to the pot.
  • Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring gently, until the ramen noodles are cooked to your desired tenderness and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt, or additional gochujang/oligo syrup, if desired.
  • Stir in most of the thinly sliced scallions.
  • Ladle into serving bowls, garnish with the remaining scallions and roasted sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Notes

The foundation of a great Rabokki is a flavorful dashi broth; ensure you don't over-boil the kombu to prevent bitterness. For optimal texture, soak frozen rice cakes in warm water for 10-15 minutes before adding to the pot to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking. Adjust the gochujang and gochugaru to your preferred spice level, adding incrementally. This dish is best served immediately. For an elevated experience, consider adding a hard-boiled egg or cheese slices during the final cooking stage.