Tteokguk & Kkakdugi Recipe
Starting the new year, JUST RIGHT with family traditions: Tteokguk [Korean Rice Cake Soup] & Ttakdugi [Radish Kimchi]. 👩🏻🍳
As I get older, I appreciate these traditions more and more. 💙💜❤️
My dad would always say: pay respect to your elders, they understand and they have been through it. This year, more than ever, I feel like I have finally understood what he met - incorporate their lessons as you strive to be better/more purposeful in 2021.
What is Tteokguk?! It’s a rice cake soup that is a staple in every Korean family household on both January 1 and on Lunar New Years. It’s a time when the family gets together, eat, laugh and celebrate our elders/ancestors.
Tteokguk Recipe
4 cups Bone Broth of choice [I pre-made mine in the slow cooker using grass-fed oxtail bones from Stemple Creek]. Note, you can substitute with any organic vegetable broth.
4 cups of Water
1/2 pound of beef. I used ground beef, but you can use brisket, cheek or chuck roast.
4 cups of Rice Cakes. You can purchase these at any Asian supermarket.
1 cup of Mandu [dumplings]. I used Kimchi dumpling.
Chopped garlic / ginger to taste
1 green onion
2 eggs
1/2 sheet of Nori. I used Strong Arm Farm’s Nori.
Salt / pepper
Instructions:
I mixed the bone broth and water in a pot and let it come to a boil [~10 minutes]. I added some salt / pepper for more taste.
While the bone broth comes to a boil, in a separate pain, I cooked the ground beef, with garlic and ginger. Added salt and pepper.
Then, beat 2 eggs in a bowl and then fry the egg. Once done, cut the egg into thin slices.
Once broth comes to a boil, I added in the rice cakes and dumplings. I let this cook for 5-6 minutes. They should be soft, but not soggy.
Time to assemble your soup: Once your broth is ready, put in ground beef [as little or as much as you want], slices of egg and both sprinkle diced green onion and nori on top. Add some black pepper to taste. ENJOY!
Kkakdugi Recipe:
3 big Radishes - I used whatever was in season.
1/2 cup of Gochugaru [Korean Chili Flakes]
1 tablespoon of organic brown sugar
3-4 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of ginger
2 green onions
1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt
Instructions:
Clean the radishes and then cut the radishes into 1 inch thick cubes.
Add the radishes to a large bowl and thoroughly mix in the sea salt into the radish. Let this sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to overnight. This allows the moisture to seep out.
Mince both the garlic and ginger. Mix the Korean chili flakes, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, green onion and fish sauce together.
Once the radishes are done, drain most of the juices out [keep about 1/4 cup].
Mix the spice and the radishes together. I would use a glove since the chili flakes are hot.
Transfer to a container and pack it in. If using a glass container, I would not tighten the jar too tight. You want some gasses to release, so it ferments. ENJOY!
Savor the meal and reflect on your 2021 intentions. Enjoy with your beloved family and friends. ✌🏼
Cheers,
Nina
