Leftover rice cakes from tteokbokki night can be transformed into an addictive puffed snack that looks and crunches like popcorn. The trick is to dehydrate the rice cakes until they harden, then microwave them for just 30-40 seconds until they puff up dramatically. Dipped in honey, they make a sweet and crunchy treat that is unlike anything you have had before.

Ingredients

  • Leftover rice cakes (tteok)
  • Honey

Singapore Swap

If you do not have leftover rice cakes, frozen tteok can be found at any Korean mart along Tanjong Pagar, Don Don Donki, or FairPrice Finest. Use the tube-shaped garae-tteok and slice them into small pieces before dehydrating. For honey, any supermarket honey works, but if you want something special, check out local Singaporean honey brands at organic stores or at the Tiong Bahru wet market.

Instructions

  1. Remove the leftover rice cakes and separate any pieces that are stuck together.
  2. Dehydrate the rice cakes until they are hard — about 6 hours in a food dehydrator works well. You want them completely dried out and stiff, almost like hard crackers.
  3. Place the dried rice cakes on a microwave-safe plate in a single layer, leaving space between each piece so they have room to expand.
  4. Microwave for 30-40 seconds and watch them puff up like popcorn. The timing depends on your microwave, but they should expand visibly.
  5. Do NOT microwave longer than 40 seconds — they will burn very quickly past this point and can become bitter.
  6. Let them cool slightly for a minute or two so they firm up and become crunchy.
  7. Dip in honey and enjoy the sweet, crunchy combination.
  8. Bite gently — some of the edges can be quite sharp and crispy.

Tips

If you do not own a dehydrator, you can dry the rice cakes in your oven at the lowest setting with the door slightly ajar, or leave them out uncovered for 1-2 days in a dry environment until they harden.

Watch the microwave closely during the puffing stage. The window between perfectly puffed and burnt is very narrow — literally seconds.

These are best eaten fresh. The puffed texture softens if left out for too long, so make only as many as you plan to eat in one sitting.