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Korean Rice Cake "Lasagna"

by: MANDY @ LADY AND PUPS September 5, 2023

5 6 Ratings

PHOTO BY MANDY LEE

 Rate this recipe:

PREP TIME COOK TIME

1 hour 50 minutes

SERVES

AUTHOR NOTES

Some recipes demand careful contemplating and repeat disappointments in order to get right. Others,
however, are hard to mess up from the get-go. Korean rice cake lasagna is one such recipe. Sticky rice cakes,
so readily chewy and absorbent of their environment, are cooked in “lasagna” form—wobbly bobbly in three
separate layers of sauces that are spicy, sweet, garlicky, tangy, and creamy all at the same time. Then, it’s all
blanketed with a cap of molten, melted cheese and chili-garlic sesame oil. How can you go wrong? It’s a no-
brainer. —Mandy @ Lady and pups

Test Kitchen-Approved

Ingredients send grocery list

For the pork mixture:

1 pound (450 grams) ground pork

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 apple, small diced

7 garlic cloves, peeled

3 shallots, peeled

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 /2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn

For the gochujang sauce:

1 /4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 grams) gochujang

3 /4 cup (185 grams) plain yogurt

1 /4 cup (60 grams) whole milk

3 tablespoons (60 grams) maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

For the green béchamel sauce:

3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) garlic chives, cut into short pieces

1 cup (240 grams) whole milk

1 /3 cup (85 grams) heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 /2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

For the gochugaru oil:

1 tablespoon Korean chile flakes

3 garlic cloves, grated

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

For assembly:
2 1/4 pounds (1 kg) sliced Korean rice cakes

14 ounces white cheddar & mozzarella mixed, shredded

Directions

1 Make the pork mixture: Mix ground pork with cornstarch. In a nonstick pot,
heat sesame and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and break it
up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the pork is broken up into
small bits and slightly browned on the edges. Meanwhile, in a tall cup (usually
comes with your immersion blender) or high-speed blender, blend apple, garlic,
shallot, soy sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, and Sichuan peppercorn into a
smooth paste. Add to the ground pork and continue to cook, stirring occasionally,
until all the excess moisture has evaporated, and the mixture is deeply
caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

2 Make the gochujang sauce: Mix gochujang, yogurt, milk, maple syrup and
mustard together until smooth; set aside.

3 Make the green béchamel: In the same blender or cup, add the chives, milk,
and heavy cream; blend until smooth. In a sauce pot, cook butter and flour over
medium heat until foamy, about 1 minute. Take it off heat, and whisk in the chive-
milk mixture. Once mixed smoothly, return to the heat and bring to a simmer. Add
fish sauce and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes until thickened. Set aside.

4 Make the gochugaru oil: In a bowl, combine the chile flakes, grated garlic,
and sesame oil; set aside.

5 Assemble the lasagna: In a deep rectangular baking dish (about 12x9-inches),

coat the bottom with a thin layer of gochujang sauce, then arrange a single layer
of rice cakes (some overlapping is fine). Then apply another layer of gochujang
sauce, scatter the pork mixture in a single layer, then another thin layer of green
bechamel sauce, and finally spread a thin layer of shredded cheese. Repeat this
process until you’re done with all the ingredients. Cover the top with the rest of
the shredded cheese and spoon the gochugaru oil in dollops over the top. Cover
loosely with aluminum foil without it touching the cheese. (You can prepare this a
few hours ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake.)

6 Heat the oven to 355°F/180°C with a rack fitted in the center of the oven.
Bake this on top of a baking sheet (to prevent oil bubbling over the baking dish)
in the middle rack for 1 hour until bubbly and slightly browned on the edges.
Remove from the oven. (You can torch the surface for a better caramelized
cheese look.) Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Cut into 9 equal portions (I
find scissors work better than knives in this situation) and serve immediately.

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Reviews (4) Questions (2)

4 REVIEWS

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Amelia November 4, 2023

 It was amazing. I really like the flavor.
You've got to try this recipe.

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Melissa September 19, 2023

Oustanding recipe - not as heavy as traditional lasagna, very flavorful. A great fusion!

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BRK September 16, 2023

Like any good lasagna, this requires pots, pans, time, and many components. And like a
good lasagna, you are rewarded with the culinary equivalent of a warm hug.
I made this with the tubular rice cakes and needed to make sure there was enough
liquid/moisture through the different sauces to get them fully cooked.
added benefit: this lasagna pairs great with beer!

Note: step 4 has just a combination of ingredients, vs the video which shows Mandy
blooming the spice and garlic. I went with the video instructions.

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Lana P. September 12, 2023

Okay I’ve been meaning to make something from Mandy since she has a knack for
creative flavor pairings. I’ve had rice cakes taking up freezer space and so I immediately
took the challenge. I had to make all the sauces on a Sunday and prepared the casserole
on Monday. The flavors work beautifully; the apple gave the (chicken for me) a nice
caramelized sweetness, and the béchamel paired with the sticky sweet gochujang sauce
well.

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Showing 4 out of 4 Reviews