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Injeolmi
Injeolmi is a soft, chewy Korean rice cake of pounded glutinous rice rolled in roasted soybean flour, eaten fresh at… · South Korea
Also known as bean-powder rice cake, kong-gomul tteok, injeolmi tteok
Injeolmi is a soft, chewy Korean rice cake of pounded glutinous rice rolled in roasted soybean flour, eaten fresh at markets and ancestral rites.
About Injeolmi
Injeolmi is a classic Korean rice cake, or tteok, made from glutinous sweet rice that is steamed and then pounded into a soft, dense, chewy mass, cut into bite-size pieces and coated in finely ground roasted soybean flour. The flour keeps the pieces from sticking to one another while adding a deep, nutty flavour that is the dish's signature.
It belongs to the everyday, unlined family of tteok, and its appeal lies in texture: freshly pounded injeolmi is warm, pliant and gently sweet, with an almost mochi-like chew. It is served at Korean holidays and appears on the tables of ancestral memorial rites, where tteok of various kinds are placed as offerings. Beyond the classic soybean coating, versions are rolled in toasted sesame seeds or wrapped around a sweet red-bean filling.
Injeolmi is best eaten fresh, the moment it cools enough to handle. In Seoul's traditional markets it is cut to order from the pounding bench and often eaten warm with a cup of green tea or a cold glass of makgeolli, the milky Korean rice wine that pairs naturally with its nutty sweetness.
🏛️ History & Culture
Injeolmi is a traditional Korean rice cake made from glutinous rice that is steamed, pounded into a sticky dough, and then cut into pieces coated with roasted soybean flour, though variations also use other coatings like sesame seeds or red bean powder. Its history is deeply tied to Korean agricultural traditions, where rice cakes were central to seasonal rituals, ancestral rites, and celebratory events such as harvest festivals and weddings. The exact origins are not documented, but the practice of making pounded rice cakes has been part of Korean cuisine for centuries, with regional adaptations in the type of coating or added flavors like mugwort or sweet potato.
Injeolmi is particularly associated with the Korean holiday of Chuseok, when families prepare it to share with ancestors and neighbors, symbolizing abundance and communal harmony. Regional differences are subtle but notable: for instance, in some southern areas, the cake might be coated with perilla seed powder, while in the central region, soybean flour is standard. The dish holds cultural significance as a comfort food that bridges generations, often made through a labor-intensive pounding process that brings families together, and it remains a popular snack and dessert in modern Korea, frequently enjoyed with tea or as a filling for other sweets.
🍳 How to make Injeolmi
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedInjeolmi (Korean Sweet Rice Cake with Soybean Powder)
Injeolmi is a chewy, freshly pounded Korean rice cake coated in roasted soybean powder, prized for its warm, nutty aroma and satisfying mochi-like bounce. It belongs to the tteok tradition of South Korea and is traditionally enjoyed just after pounding, when the steam still rises and the texture is at its tender best.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
Recipe ingredients
- 300 g (10½ oz / 1½ cups) sweet rice flour (chapssal-garu), Korean sweet rice flour, or short-grain glutinous rice finely ground
- 100 g (3½ oz) roasted soybean powder (kong-garu), Roasted yellow soybeans finely ground; toasted in a dry pan if starting from whole beans
- 30 g (2 Tbsp) sugar, adjust to taste; injeolmi is only mildly sweet
- 1 g (¼ tsp) fine sea salt
- 350 ml (1½ cups) water, lukewarm, for mixing the dough
- 10 g (2 tsp) neutral oil, for oiling hands and work surface so the dough does not stick
Steps
- 1 Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a flat surface (a large cutting board or stone slab), and your hands. Have the soybean powder ready in a wide, shallow bowl. Traditional pounding uses a wooden mallet (jeolgu) and andu (a wooden mortar and pestle shaped for tteok); a heavy wooden rolling pin and a sturdy bowl work as a home substitute, though texture will be slightly less airy.
- 2 In the oiled bowl, combine the sweet rice flour, sugar, and salt. Slowly pour in the 350 ml of lukewarm water while mixing with the oiled wooden spoon until no dry pockets remain. The mixture should look like wet sand, not a smooth batter.
- 3 Set up a steamer over about 5 cm of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Spread the rice mixture in a heatproof dish (a pie plate or shallow metal bowl works) in a layer about 3 cm thick; poke a few holes so steam penetrates. Cover with a cloth lid or a lid wrapped in a kitchen towel to prevent condensation from dripping onto the surface.
- 4 Steam on high heat for 35–40 minutes, stirring once at the 20-minute mark with an oiled spoon to break up the gummy mass, then smooth it back evenly. The dough is done when it is completely translucent, glossy, and holds together as a stretchy, sticky lump; there should be no white, starchy streaks when you tear off a small piece.
- 5 Turn the hot dough out onto the oiled flat surface. Dust the surface and your hands with about 2 tablespoons of the soybean powder. Using the oiled rolling pin (or a sturdy wooden pin), flatten the dough gently to about 2 cm thick. Fold it in half, dusting with more soybean powder if it sticks, then flatten again. Repeat the fold-and-flatten rhythm 4–6 times, the traditional way of 'pounding' it at home; this gives the classic layered, chewy interior.
- 6 Dust the top of the dough and the rolling pin with soybean powder and roll the dough out to roughly 2 cm thick. Spread a generous layer of the remaining soybean powder over the top.
- 7 With an oiled knife or a dough scraper, cut the slab into bite-sized pieces about 3 × 3 cm. Toss each piece individually in the soybean powder so all sides are coated and the pieces no longer stick together.
- 8 Serve warm, the way it is eaten in Korea, in small bowls or stacked on a plate. Injeolmi is best within a few hours of pounding; leftover pieces can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day and refreshed briefly in a steamer or microwave before dusting again with soybean powder.
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Injeolmi — frequently asked questions
What is Injeolmi?
Injeolmi is a classic Korean rice cake, or tteok, made from glutinous sweet rice that is steamed and then pounded into a soft, dense, chewy mass, cut into bite-size pieces and coated in finely ground roasted soybean flour. The flour keeps the pieces from sticking to one another while adding a deep, nutty flavour that…
What is Injeolmi made of?
Injeolmi is made with glutinous sweet rice (chapssal), water, salt, roasted soybean flour (kong-gomul) and honey or sugar (optional).
Where does Injeolmi come from?
Injeolmi comes from South Korea, and is especially associated with Nationwide (Seoul markets and provincial tteok shops). Injeolmi is a traditional Korean rice cake made from glutinous rice that is steamed, pounded into a sticky dough, and then cut into pieces coated with roasted soybean flour, though variations also use other coatings like sesame seeds or red bean powder.
Where can I eat Injeolmi?
Injeolmi is a market-hall staple across South Korea and at its best eaten fresh at traditional markets such as Gwangjang Market and Namdaemun Market in Seoul, where it is cut to order from the pounding table. Tteok shops sell it all year round, and it is…
How do you make Injeolmi?
Making Injeolmi at home takes about 15 minutes of prep and 60 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 6 and is rated medium. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.
What else is Injeolmi called?
Injeolmi is also known as bean-powder rice cake, kong-gomul tteok, injeolmi tteok.
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