Garaetteok (Rice Cakes)

Prep Time: 7 hrs, 30 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 8 hrs, 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup white short-grain rice or sushi rice

• ¾ cup boiling water

• ½ teaspoon salt

• sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash the rice with plenty of cold water, until the water runs clear. Place in a large bowl and add enough water to submerge the rice. Soak for 7 hours or overnight.

2. Drain the rice for 30 mins or until completely dry, then grind in a food processor until you get a fine powder, sift the ground rice through a sieve; grind anything left in the sift, then sift again.

3. Boil some water. Place the rice flour and ½ teaspoon salt into a bowl, and mix together. Gradually add ¾ cup boiling water while mixing with a wooden spoon, to make a firm dough.

4. Line a steamer with some non-stick baking parchment or a dim-sum liner, spread the dough out over it, and cover it with a lid. Steam the dough for 30 mins.

5. Spread a little sesame oil over a large cutting board. Knead the dough by hand for a minute, then start to pound it, using a large wooden pestle. Pound for around 5 minutes, until the dough is pliable. Knead the dough again, for a few minutes, until it's soft enough to roll.

6. Divide into 4 equal parts, and roll into a long cylinder shape, cut into 2 to 4 inch pieces. Pour a little sesame oil into your hands and gently roll each cylinder to coat it in a little oil.

7. Wrap with plastic cling wrap and let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours or until it's just hard enough to cut nicely.

8. You can eat it right away or freeze for later use. You can also cut the cylinder diagonally to make oval tteok for tteokguk. Enjoy!