How to make traditional Korean rice cake (Gyeongdan: 경단)

By Maangchi · 45 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make the red bean paste: boil 1 cup of washed red beans in 4 cups of water over high heat for 10 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 50 minutes.
3. Check that the beans are fully cooked. Drain off extra water and mash the beans with a wooden spoon.
4. Mix in 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Set aside.
5. Prepare three bowls of coating powder. For black sesame: rinse and drain 1/2 cup of black sesame seeds. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until they pop, then lower the heat and keep stirring until crisp (5 to 10 minutes). Cool, grind in a coffee grinder, and mix with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt.
6. For the soybean powder: mix 1/2 cup of toasted soybean powder with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt.
7. For the mugwort: mix 1/2 cup of mugwort powder with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt.
8. Make the dough: in a bowl, combine 2 cups of sweet rice flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Gradually stir in 2/3 cup of hot water with a spoon, then knead by hand. If the dough is too wet, add a little plain flour. Put the dough in a plastic bag and set aside.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
10. Divide the dough in two and roll each half into a cylinder. Cut each into 18 to 20 pieces. Flatten each piece into a cup, add a spoonful of the bean paste, and seal tightly into a ball. Cover the balls with a damp cloth while you work.
11. Drop the balls into the boiling water. Cook until they float, about 3 to 5 minutes.
12. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of cold water.
13. Transfer the cooked balls to the cold water, then drain.
14. Roll the balls in the three coating powders and arrange on a plate.

Summarized from Maangchi's video. Watch it for the details.

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