Mala Rose Tteokbokki (with Mala Sauce)

Name: Rose Tteokbokki (with Mala Sauce)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup rice cakes; 6 starchy potato noodles ((can sub with your favorite noodles)); 6 sausages (mini); 10 pieces fish cakes; 3 leaves napa cabbage; 1 tablespoon neutral oil; ½ tablespoon mala sauce (optional); 1 tablespoon gochujang; 1½ cup whole milk (add more if sauce is too spicy or thick); 2 cloves garlic (minced); ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon fish sauce; green onion (for garnish); mozzarella cheese; udon noodles; sliced beef; mushrooms; bacon

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Rose Tteokbokki (with Mala Sauce) combines the spicy-sweet kick of gochujang with a rich, creamy sauce, creating a balanced flavor that’s spicy yet mellow. The chewy rice cakes absorb the sauce, offering a comforting, indulgent bite that’s like a spicy Korean twist on creamy pasta. The creamy sauce resembles a carbonara pasta and the combination of the sauces tastes delicious with pretty much any of your ingredients you have on hand (similar to Chinese hot pot).

Bowl of red spicy rice cakes and sausages topped with chopped green onions beside metal chopsticks.

What is Rose Tteokbokki?

Rose Tteokbokki is inspired by Italian carbonara pasta using chewy rice cakes instead of pasta. The rice cakes absorb the creamy gochujang sauce. This version includes the option of adding mala sauce to make this dish extra spicy and savory. This version tastes less spicy than the classic tteokbokki due to adding milk. If you love rice cakes, check out these dishes with chewy & soft rice cakes, Shanghai Rice Cakes or Korean Army Stew.

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What is Rose Tteokbokki?
Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make Mala Rose Tteokbokki
FAQs
Expert Tips
More Asian Inspired Recipes
Rose Tteokbokki (with Mala Sauce)

Ingredients

Here’s a look at what you need to make Rose Tteokbokki at home. The highlights are here but the full ingredient list and quantities of each are in the recipe card.

Rice cakes – chewy rice cakes are the main carb in this dish and when cooked perfectly, it brings a chewy soft texture. These are usually found in the frozen section of an Asian grocery store. I prefer to use fresh rice cakes for the perfect texture.
Starchy potato noodles – these are super chewy translucent noodles that are often cooked at hot pot. They can found mostly at Chinese grocery stores in the dried noodle section. Feel free to swap with your favorite noodles.
Sausages (optional) – I love Japanese sausages for it’s springy texture and tasty flavor. It is found at most Asian grocery stores but you can use your favorite small sausages, bacon, or beef instead.
Fish cakes – I used round fish cakes for this dish. Most commonly, Koreans use flat fish cakes, but any fish cakes works for this dish as long it is your favorite.
Mala sauce – OPTIONAL – I used Lee Kum Kee’s prepackaged mala sauce (see ingredient photo above for product) for hot pot. It’s packed with chilis and sichuan peppercorn flavors so it gives a variety of different spices. This works perfectly with the spicy and sweet flavor of gochujang.
Gochujang – the base of the sauce is gochujang (Korean red pepper paste). Gochujang has a spicy fermented (not sour) earthy flavor. You can find this at most Asian grocery stores. Keep in mind they come with different spice levels so use the one that suits you most.
Whole milk – use whole milk or half & half so that the sauce tastes extra creamy. You can also use lactose-free milk if that’s what you prefer. Add more milk if you find that the sauce is too thick or too spicy.
Fish sauce – I use this to add saltiness and umami flavor to the rice cakes. If you don’t have this, you can substitute with salt or soy sauce.

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe is very flexible and versatile due to the nature of the delicious sauce. I recommending adding delicious vegetables and your favorite proteins. Keep in mind the more ingredients you have, the sauce measurements can vary. Taste the sauce and adjust to your salt and spice level.

Vegetables: cabbage is mild and perfect for soaking up the sauce. You can also add mushrooms, carrots, or bok choy.
Proteins: fish cakes are usually added in tteukbokki. You can also add sliced beef, pork, or lamb for extra protein.
Noodles: any type of noodle like udon, instant ramen, or knife cut noodles works for this sauce. Make sure that your noodle is cooked before adding in the sauce so it doesn’t soak up all the sauce when cooking.

How to Make Mala Rose Tteokbokki

Potato noodles soaking in water in a metal bowl beside packaging.

Step 1: Soak potato noodles in warm water while you prepare the ingredients.

Rice cakes, sausages, fish cakes, and cabbage frying in a pan.

Step 2: Heat up your pan on low medium heat. Add some oil. Then, add your rice cakes, sausages, fish cakes, minced garlic and cabbage. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Mala sauce and gochujang added to sausages, cabbage, and fish cakes in a pan.

Step 3: Next add mala sauce and gochujang. Fry for 1 minute. Mix together.

Potato noodles, black pepper, and seasonings added to simmering Mala Rose Tteukbokki.

Step 4: Strain your potato noodles. Then, add milk, potato noodles, black pepper, sugar, and fish sauce. If you want to add noodles, this is the perfect time to add them. Mix together.

Simmering spicy red sauce with sausages, rice cakes, and fish cakes in a pan.

Step 5: Cook for 10-15 minutes until rice cakes and noodles are soft and chewy. Note: If you add noodles, you will need to add more broth as the noodles will soak up the sauce very quickly when cooking.

Mala Rose Tteukbokki served with a garnish of chopped green onions.

Step 6: Garnish with chopped green onions and enjoy while warm.

PRO TIP: Add more milk after Step 5 if you find that the sauce is too thick or too spicy.

Close-up of spicy rice cakes and sausages with green onion garnish in a rich sauce.

FAQs

What if I don’t want mala flavor?

It is not required to add it. I added for extra spice (sichuan peppercorn flavor) and it goes so well with the gochujang and creamy flavor.

What is classic tteokbokki?

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food made of chewy rice cakes (tteok) stir-fried in a spicy, sweet, and savory sauce, typically based on gochujang (Korean chili paste). Often served with fish cakes, scallions, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs, it has a bold, tangy flavor and a satisfyingly chewy texture that makes it a comforting, flavorful snack or meal.

What should I serve this with?

Traditionally tteukbokki is served fried food like gimmari or kimbap so you can dip them in your spicy sauce. To make this a heartier meal, you can serve with white rice and more protein like Korean Pork Belly (Bossam) and Korean BBQ Short Ribs.

How should I store this?

I recommend to eat them right away if you can. The rice cakes turn hard and is not the same texture when reheated. You can store the leftover rose tteokbokki in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, you can cook over the stove with a little more water for 10 minutes until they soften.

Expert Tips

Taste your sauce! It should be the perfect savory, spicy flavor. If it’s too spicy, add more milk as the recipe can vary depending on the gochujang you use and the number of ingredients you add.
If you are using noodles, make sure they are cooked in water before adding to your sauce. If you add in uncooked noodles, it might dry our your sauce you will have to add more milk, gochujang or mala sauce.
Don’t cook the rice cakes for too long or else it will be mushy. The ideal texture is that it is chewy and soft. Read the instructions on your packet to determine how long to cook them.