Chewy, soft rice cakes coated in sweet toasted soybean powder, a classic Korean sweet.
Injeolmi are soft, chewy rice cakes made by steaming and then pounding glutinous rice until it turns smooth and elastic, traditionally coated generously in injeolmi-garu, a sweet, toasted soybean flour. It's a dessert defined entirely by its texture — a satisfying chew paired with a nutty, slightly sweet coating. The pounding step, traditionally done with a mallet in a large mortar, is what develops the rice's characteristic stretchy texture; without enough pounding, the rice cakes stay grainy rather than becoming smooth and cohesive.
Serves 8
Combine glutinous rice flour, salt, water, and sugar into a smooth, thick batter.
Pour the batter into a heatproof dish and steam over boiling water for 20-25 minutes until fully translucent and set.
While still hot, transfer to a lightly oiled surface and knead vigorously for 5-8 minutes until smooth, stretchy, and elastic.
Wear food-safe gloves or use a spatula — the rice cake is very hot and sticky at this stage.
Mix roasted soybean powder with sugar in a wide dish.
While the rice cake is still warm and pliable, cut into small rectangles and roll each piece thoroughly in the soybean powder mixture.
Serve at room temperature, generously coated in the soybean powder.
Knead the steamed rice dough thoroughly while it's still hot — this is what develops the signature chewy, stretchy texture.
Keep your hands or tools oiled while shaping, since the dough is extremely sticky.
Coat the pieces generously in soybean powder right after cutting, while they're still warm and slightly tacky, so it adheres well.
Add mugwort powder to the dough for a green-tinted, herbal variation called ssuk injeolmi.
Fill the rice cakes with sweetened red bean paste before coating for extra richness.
Use black sesame powder instead of soybean powder for a different nutty coating.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days; the texture firms up when cold, so let it come to room temperature before serving.
Injeolmi has a long history in Korean cuisine, traditionally made for special occasions and holidays using labor-intensive hand-pounding, and it remains one of Korea's most recognized traditional rice cake desserts today.
A makeshift steamer using a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water with a lid works fine if you don't have a dedicated steamer.
It likely wasn't kneaded enough while hot; the pounding or kneading step is essential to developing the smooth, stretchy texture.
Korean grocery stores carry it as injeolmi-garu or konggaru; it's pre-roasted and ready to use directly as a coating.
Per serving (90g / 3.2 oz) · 8 servings total
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