Recipe: Chajang Rabokki
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I think that some of the world’s greatest dishes are ones where the names make it obvious that two awesome things were combined to make one even more awesome and delicious thing. Take rabokki for example. The word is a combination of ramyeon (Korean instant ramen noodles) and tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes). Carbs on carbs, essentially, but two very different textures. The rice cakes provide chew, as well as big surface area to get some extra flavor from the frying, while the noodles are a conduit for all the sauce.
The more common form of rabokki that I have seen is the kind in the typical red spicy-sweet tteokbokki sauce that can be found from street vendors. It’s often served with cheese and boy is it indulgently delicious.
But there’s also the super umami-y chajang rabokki. You may be familiar with chajang and not realize it. Perhaps you picked up a packet of instant Chapagetti to make your own chapaguri (known as “ram-don” if you’ve only read the English subtitles) after watching the movie Parasite. The cha- in Chapagetti or chapaguri is a reference to the chajang sauce (also spelled jajang). The defining ingredient in this sauce is black bean paste, giving the noodles and rice cakes, and everything it touches, that rich dark color that you just know is going to taste good.
For this version of chajang rabokki, I took combining carby things to an even more extreme level by adding Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable Steamed Dumplings into the mix. I mean, they also add some protein, and I think the lovely pleated dumplings add a lot visually, so why not? I refrained from adding cheese this time, but that wouldn’t be a bad idea either. In fact, add whatever odds and ends you have in your fridge or freezer because it will all be good coated in that deep black bean sauce.
How to Make Chajang Rabokki
Ingredients
1 cup Korean rice cakes, or tteok
5 tsp Korean black bean paste, or chunjang
4 tsp Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce
1 tbsp gochugaru
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups bone broth
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Korean fish cakes, or eomuk, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 package Bibigo Chicken & Vegetable Steamed Dumplings
1 package instant noodles
Procedure
If rice cakes are frozen, soak in cold water for 10 minutes to thaw. Skip this step if rice cakes are fresh.
Mix together black bean paste, Bibigo Hot & Sweet Go-Chu-Jang Sauce, gochugaru, and sugar together in a small bowl to make the sauce.
In a wide, shallow pot, combine the broth with onions, garlic, and whites of the scallions, reserving the green parts for garnish. Bring to a boil. Then add sauce, dumplings, rice cakes, and fish cakes. Cook for 2 minutes on medium-high heat.
Add the noodles to the pot and continue to boil until noodles are cooked and the dumplings are heated through, about 2–3 minutes.
Remove from heat and toss together to make sure everything is coated with sauce. Plate and garnish with the remaining green scallions.
Thank you so much to Bibigo USA for sponsoring this recipe! For more recipe ideas and to learn more about their products, visit their website!