Air Fryer Tteokbokki — Charred Glaze, Not a Wet Pot

Ingredients

• 300 g garae-tteok, soaked until bendy, drained and patted dry
• 2 Tbsp gochujang
• 1 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp soy
• 1 Tbsp rice syrup or honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp gochugaru (optional)
• Oil spray for the basket
• Sesame seeds and scallion to finish

Steps

1. Soak or blanch the cakes until a cylinder bends without cracking. Pat very dry — wet cakes steam and never pick up color.
2. Stir gochujang, ketchup, soy, syrup, sesame oil, and gochugaru into a thick glaze. It should coat a spoon, not pour like stock.
3. Toss half the glaze with the cakes. Reserve the rest.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. Spray the basket. Arrange cakes in one layer. Cook 5 minutes, shake, brush remaining glaze, cook 3–5 minutes more until edges blister and the glaze looks tacky, not wet.
5. Finish sesame and scallion. Eat immediately — air-fried tteok firms as it sits, faster than a wet pot.