Posted by Tammy

As we cross the Pacific, the next stop for tteokbokki inspiration is Hawaii. America’s 50th state is also the first place many Asian immigrants settled in the 19th century.

Hawaiian cuisine is synonymous with Asian fusion cooking as immigrants from Japan, Samoa, Portugal, the Philippines, China and Korea settled there mixing the culinary traditions of their respective homelands with indigenous ingredients to create a unique and iconic cuisine.

Today’s tteokbokki recipe features a simple Hawaiian sauce

First step, start by soaking your Garae tteok in a hot water bath (not boiling water) for 10 minutes (check the instructions on the package of tteok you bought at the Korean grocery store for recommendations on this step). While the noodles are soaking, you can start on the sauce.

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, minced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp. curry powder
14 oz Coconut Milk or milk
2 oz soju
1 tsp. garlic sea salt
1 tsp. ground ginger or ginger juice
3 tbs. soy sauce

Put 1 tbsp coconut oil into your skillet. Sautee the onions until they are translucent. Add the garlic and sautee for a minute more. Add the rest of the the ingredients into the skillet. After the sauce starts to bubble, add the garae tteok and cook for about 5-10 more minutes until the noodles are cooked to your satisfaction.

If you really need some protein, add a can or two of chopped Spam or Ham to the recipe during the last 5 minutes of cooking to heat it up to maintain the Hawaiian spirit of the dish.