books – Mama's Korean Kitchen

If you’ve ever watched a Korean drama, you’ve probably seen someone eating this bright red, steamy street food. That’s Tteokbokki (떡볶이) — soft, chewy rice cakes simmered in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce.
한국 드라마를 본 적이 있다면, 붉은색 양념에 푹 담긴 떡볶이를 먹는 장면을 한 번쯤 봤을 거예요. 떡볶이는 쫄깃한 떡을 달콤하고 매운 고추장 양념에 졸여 만든 대표적인 한국 길거리 음식이에요.

The best part? You don’t have to be in Korea to enjoy it. With just a few simple ingredients, you can recreate that authentic flavor right at home.
좋은 점은, 꼭 한국에 가지 않아도 집에서 간단한 재료로 그 맛을 낼 수 있다는 거예요.

🛒 Ingredients 재료

Main 주재료

1½ cups Korean rice cakes (about 200g) / 떡볶이 떡 1컵 반 (약 200g)

3–4 fish cakes (or fish tofu sheets), sliced / 어묵 3~4장 (또는 피쉬두부 시트)

1 green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces / 대파 1대 (5cm 길이로 자름)

2 cups water or anchovy broth / 물 또는 멸치육수 2컵

Sauce 소스

2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste) / 고추장 2큰술

1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) / 고춧가루 1큰술

1 tbsp soy sauce / 간장 1큰술

1 tbsp sugar / 설탕 1큰술

1 tbsp corn syrup or honey / 물엿 또는 꿀 1큰술

1 tsp minced garlic / 다진 마늘 1작은술

Optional toppings (선택):

1 boiled egg or ½ cup mozzarella cheese / 삶은 달걀 1개 또는 모짜렐라치즈 ½컵

Sesame seeds for garnish / 깨 약간

🍳 Instructions | 조리법

Boil the broth.
In a medium pot, pour 2 cups of water (or anchovy broth) and bring it to a boil.
냄비에 물이나 멸치육수를 넣고 끓입니다.
Add the sauce ingredients.
Stir in gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, corn syrup, and minced garlic. Mix well until smooth.
고추장, 고춧가루, 간장, 설탕, 물엿, 다진 마늘을 넣고 잘 풀어줍니다.
Add rice cakes and fish cakes.
Once the sauce starts bubbling, add rice cakes and fish cakes. Stir often so they don’t stick.
양념이 끓기 시작하면 떡과 어묵을 넣고 저어줍니다.
Simmer until thick.
Cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the rice cakes become soft and chewy.
약 10분간 끓여 양념이 걸쭉해지고 떡이 부드러워질 때까지 졸입니다.
Finish with toppings.
Add boiled egg or cheese, and sprinkle sesame seeds before serving.
삶은 달걀이나 치즈를 넣고, 마지막에 깨를 뿌려 마무리합니다.

🧊 Storage / 보관법

If you happen to have some leftover tteokbokki (which honestly doesn’t happen often 😋), here’s the best way to keep it fresh!
혹시 남았다면 (사실 거의 그런 일은 없지만요 😋), 이렇게 보관하면 좋아요.

Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
완전히 식힌 뒤 밀폐용기에 담아 냉장고에 넣어주세요.

When you’re ready to eat again, add a spoon or two of water and warm it slowly over low heat — it’ll come back soft and chewy like new.
먹기 전엔 물 한두 스푼 넣고 약불로 천천히 데우면 처음처럼 말랑해져요.

If you’re in a hurry, pop it in the microwave for about a minute, give it a quick stir, then heat again until hot.
바쁠 땐 전자레인지에 1분 정도 돌리고 한 번 저어 다시 데워도 괜찮아요.

I don’t recommend freezing it though — rice cakes turn hard and lose their chewy texture.
다만 냉동은 비추천이에요. 떡이 딱딱해져서 쫀득한 식감이 사라지거든요.

If you want, you can freeze just the sauce separately for next time!
필요하다면 양념소스만 따로 냉동해두면 다음에도 편하게 쓸 수 있어요.

Oh, and for cheese tteokbokki — always add fresh cheese when reheating.
그리고 치즈 떡볶이는 데울 때 새 치즈를 살짝 더 올리면 훨씬 맛있어요. 🧀

💡 Tips 팁

If rice cakes are frozen, soak in warm water for 10 minutes before cooking.
냉동 떡은 미리 따뜻한 물에 10분 정도 담가주세요.

Add a few drops of sesame oil for extra flavor.
참기름을 살짝 넣으면 풍미가 더 좋아져요.

Goes perfectly with fried dumplings or kimbap!
튀김이나 김밥과 함께 먹으면 궁합이 좋아요.

If you’re planning to try making tteokbokki at home, it helps to stop by a Korean grocery store first.

Rice cakes, gochujang, and fish cakes are the key — and once you have them, you can use them for many other Korean dishes too.

They keep well in the fridge and come in handy whenever you want a quick, warm meal with Korean flavor.

In Korea, tteokbokki is often enjoyed together with soondae (Korean blood sausage) and fried snacks (twigim).

Egg & Sweet Potato Muffins

These egg & sweet potato muffins have a soft texture and mild flavor, making them suitable for babies around 1 year old and ideal for baby-led weaning (BLW).
They’re naturally sweet from the sweet potato, soft to chew, and packed with protein and vitamins—no added sugar needed.

계란 고구마 머핀은 부드럽고 순한 맛으로, 만 1세 전후 아기에게 적합하며 아기주도이유식(BLW)에 잘 어울립니다.
고구마의 자연 단맛으로 충분히 달고, 부드러워서 잘 씹히며 단백질과 비타민이 풍부해요.

🥣 Ingredients / 재료

2 eggs / 달걀 2개
100g steamed sweet potato (about 1 small piece) / 찐 고구마 100g (작은 것 1개 정도)
2–3 tbsp milk or soy milk / 우유 또는 두유 2~3큰술
A small amount of oil (for greasing) / 식용유 약간 (틀 코팅용)
Optional: finely chopped spinach or broccoli / 선택: 다진 시금치나 브로콜리 약간

🍳 Instructions / 조리법

Mash the sweet potato.
Mash it while still warm.
따뜻할 때 포크로 으깨주세요.
Mix all ingredients.
Whisk eggs, mashed sweet potato, and milk together. Add veggies if using.
달걀, 고구마, 우유를 섞고 채소를 넣을 경우 함께 섞어요.
Fill muffin cups.
Lightly oil the cups and fill them 2/3 full.
머핀틀에 기름을 살짝 바르고 반죽을 2/3 정도 채워요.
Bake or air fry.

Oven: 180°C (350°F) for 20–25 min

Air fryer: 160°C (320°F) for 15–18 min
Use a toothpick to check if cooked.
젓가락으로 찔러 확인하세요.

Cool completely.
Cooling makes the texture softer and easier to hold.
완전히 식히면 더 부드러워지고 아기가 손으로 잡기 좋아요.

🧊 Storage / 보관

Refrigerate up to 2 days / 냉장 2일
Freeze up to 2 weeks / 냉동 2주
Reheat in microwave for 10–15 seconds. / 전자레인지에 10~15초 데워주세요.

💡 Mom’s Tips / 엄마의 팁

The Key to these muffins is their simple ingredients – it’s all about keeping them soft and moist!

Mash the sweet potato while warm.
Warm sweet potato mashes smoothly — cold ones get lumpy.
고구마는 따뜻할 때 으깨야 덩어리 안 생겨요.
Adjust milk amount based on batter texture.
Too thin = flat muffins , too thick = dry texture.
반죽이 너무 묽으면 퍼지고, 너무 되면 퍽퍽해요.
Bake at a lower temperature (150–160°C) in an air fryer.
Silicone molds heat slowly; low temp helps even baking.
에어프라이어는 낮은 온도로 천천히 구워야 골고루 익어요.
Lightly oil the molds.
Even silicone releases better with a thin oil coat.
틀에 식용유를 살짝 바르면 더 잘 떨어져요.
Cool completely before sealing.
Trapped steam makes muffins soggy.
완전히 식힌 뒤 밀폐해야 눅눅하지 않아요.

💛Why it’s good for babies

You can replace sweet potato with pumpkin or apple puree.
고구마 대신 단호박이나 사과퓨레로 바꿔도 좋아요.

Great for BLW and self-feeding practice.
손으로 먹는 연습용으로 아주 좋아요.

Rich in protein, beta-carotene, and calcium.
단백질, 베타카로틴, 칼슘이 풍부해요.

I’ve been baking muffins a lot lately, and I found a really good muffin pan that

I’d love to recommend! (Not an ad)

[ Trudeau Structure Silicone Mini Muffin Pan (24-Cup)]

Perfect balance for both baby and family use.
아기용과 가족용 모두에 딱 맞는 머핀틀이에요.

>> Why It’s a Great Choice

Food-grade silicone (BPA-free, FDA approved)
Safe and toxin-free for babies.
→ 100% 식품용 실리콘, BPA Free, FDA 승인으로 안전해요.
Reinforced steel frame
Keeps its shape even when filled — no wobbling.
→ 강화 스틸 프레임으로 흐물거리지 않고 안정적이에요.
Easy release & non-stick surface
Muffins pop out smoothly with just a touch of butter.
→ 살짝 버터만 발라도 쉽게 떨어져요.
Heat-resistant up to 428 °F (220 °C)
Works in both oven and air fryer.
→ 오븐과 에어프라이어 모두 사용 가능해요.
Dishwasher safe
Easy to clean, saves time.
→ 식기세척기로 간편하게 세척돼요.

** Mini cup size makes it ideal for baby snacks,
and 24 cups let you bake enough for the whole family at once.
→ 미니컵이라 아기 간식용으로 좋고, 24개 한 번에 구워 가족용으로도 충분해요.

It was a warm and cozy egg & sweet potato muffin that tastes even better with a glass of milk. Babies will absolutely love it!

Every mom wants the food she makes for her little one to be both healthy and delicious.

I hope this recipe brings a happy time not only for your baby, but also for you — because when mom feels good, baby feels happy too. 💛

Tag: books

🔥🍲Easy Korean Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes Recipe)집에서도 쉽게 만드는 매콤달콤 떡볶이

🥚 Egg & Sweet Potato Muffins (No Sugar, Perfect for BLW) | 무설탕 계란고구마머핀