6medium shiitake mushrooms (or other mushrooms of choice), de-stemmed & sliced
1teaspoonneutral oil
Splash of tamari or soy sauce, to taste
GARNISH
Perilla leaves, chiffonade
Toasted sesame seeds or vegan furikake
Instructions
For the sauce:
In a small/medium pot, whisk together water, gochujang, sugar, tomato paste (or ketchup), tamari/soy sauce, mushroom seasoning, and toasted sesame oil. Set aside.
For the mushrooms:
Heat a medium/large pan with neutral oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Turn off the pan. Lightly season with tamari/soy sauce and toss the mushroom around the pan to lightly char the tamari/soy sauce with the residual heat left in the pan. Be careful not to burn the soy sauce/tamari. Add mushrooms to the pot with the sauce.
For the tteokbokki:
Rinse the tteokbokki tteok and separate any of them that are stuck together. Add the tteokbokki tteok into the pot with the sauce and mushrooms.
Bring this to a boil, then lower the heat to medium/medium low, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll know when the tteokbokki is finished when the sauce has thickened up and the tteokbokki tteok has a soft, chewy, and bouncy texture. Once that is achieved, serve immediately. Top with garnishes of choice. My favorite is perilla leaves and vegan furikake.