The third day of tteok: Madras curry tteokbokki

My next source of tteokbokki (???) fusion inspiration for the 12-day countdown to the Korean New Year comes from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu, which is now called Chennai, is located in the southwest corner of India. The region is well known for its spicy curry.

First, soak your garae tteok (???), which are the fat cylindrical rice noodles traditionally used in tteokbokki, in a hot water bath (not boiling water) for 10 minutes (check the instructions on the package of tteok you bought at the Korean grocery store for recommendations on this step).

2 tablespoons grapeseed or coconut oil
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
4 cloves garlic (2 teaspoons minced)
1 large onion
14 ounces chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons Madras curry paste (one packet of Sukhi's Madras curry paste)
handful of chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup chicken broth

First, finely slice the onion and peppers. Chop the cilantro as well, cutting off the stems.

Heat oil in wok or cast iron skillet over high heat. Stir-fry onions and garlic until lightly browned. Add peppers and stir fry for two more minutes.

Add curry paste, tomatoes, chicken broth and lemon juice. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the tteok and continue to simmer until the tteok are cooked (approximately five minutes). Put the cilantro in during the last minute of cooking.

This was the first sauce I made that I wish I had cooked up some rice to use up the rest of the sauce. It was that good.