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Korean Injeolmi Recipe

by Emily
An overhead photo of Korean injeolmi on a charcoal color plate. The plate sits on a rattan placemat. The injeolmi are shaped into bite-sized squares and covered in a dusting of soybean powder.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details at the bottom of this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on this Korean injeolmi recipe article! I hope you enjoy learning how to make these Korean sweet rice cakes!

Would you like to learn how to make a traditional Korean sweet treat? If so, try making injeolmi! This old-school snack is chewy and soft with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Quick and easy to make, you can prepare this dish with just the microwave in less than 15 minutes! 

What Is Injeolmi? 

Injeolmi (인절미) is a variety of Korean rice cake. You make this dish by steaming and pounding glutinous rice flour until it is soft and chewy. Then, roll the steamed rice ball flat before cutting it into small pieces (usually bite-sized squares). Finally, toss the rice cake pieces in roasted powdered beans or other ingredients. 

While this process used to take many hours, you can make it within 15 minutes in a modern kitchen thanks to the microwave! 

There are countless varieties of sweetened rice cakes based on the type of gomul (고물) used. Gomul refers to various kinds of powdered coatings, toppings, fillings, or dips in Korean cuisine. For tteok, you most commonly will see gomul made with dried powdered soybeans, mugwort, azuki beans, sesame seeds, or dried jujube. 

For the purpose of my recipe, I used roasted soybean powder gomul, which is best during the summer as it is less prone to spoil. 

A photo of Korean injeolmi on a charcoal color plate. The plate sits on a rattan mat. The injeolmi are cute into bite-sized squares and dusted with roasted soybean powder.

Korean Injeolmi Ingredient List:

Below, I list the ingredients used to make this recipe:

Korean Injeolmi Tips & Tricks: 

Here, I list some helpful tips & tricks to help you make this easy Korean injeolmi recipe. If you have any questions, leave a comment below or email me at [email protected]! I hope these tips help! 

  • Injeolmi dries up and hardens quickly. It is only soft, stretchy, and pliable when it’s still warm to the touch. Therefore, make sure to stretch, cut, and coat it with the soybean powder as quickly as possible. 
  • I recommend preparing injeolmi right before serving. This way, the texture is soft and chewy. Once again, injeolmi hardens as it sits for an extended period. 
  • If you have leftovers, store this sweet snack at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 12 hours. If you plan on storing it for longer, I recommend freezing it to maintain the freshness. Then, you can thaw it at room temperature and microwave it for a short amount of time to make it soft and chewy again! 
  • Serve this sweet and nutty treat with tea
A photo of Korean sweet rice cakes on a charcoal color plate. The plate sits on a rattan mat. The rice cakes are cute into bite-sized squares and dusted with roasted soybean powder.

Korean Injeolmi Frequently Asked Questions:

Now that we learned about some tips & tricks, I want to answer some questions you may have about this recipe! If I do not answer your question, feel free to leave a comment in the section below or email me at [email protected].

Does This Recipe Contain Major Allergens? (Gluten, Soy, Etc.)

Before listing all of the major allergens, I want to state that all of my recipes are naturally gluten-free. On this blog, I only use and recommend gluten-free ingredients and brands. That being said, I list gluten as a potential allergen when necessary– this is because many Korean ingredients (such as soy sauce, gochujang, and doenjang) contain gluten unless you specifically buy gluten-free versions. Not only is this true for gluten, but it is true for other major allergens as well. As such, I always list allergy substitutions in the next section of my post. 

This recipe does not contain 8 of the 9 major allergens. It does not contain: 

  • Peanuts
  • Fish
  • Crustacean Shellfish
  • Milk (Dairy)
  • Tree Nuts
  • Sesame
  • Wheat (Gluten)
  • Eggs

This recipe does contain 1 of the 9 major allergens. It can contain:

  • Soybean
A photo of Korean injeolmi on a charcoal color plate. The plate sits on a rattan mat. The injeolmi are cute into bite-sized squares and dusted with roasted soybean powder.

Allergy Substitutions or Omissions: 

For those with a soy allergy: 

This recipe for injeolmi uses Korean roasted soybean powder. If you have a soy allergy, you can replace the roasted soybean powder with a different type of ‘gomul’ (고물). As I stated above, ‘gomul’ refers to a number of different powdered coatings, toppings, fillings, and dips in Korean cuisine.  

Roasted soybean powder is the most popular type of coating for injeolmi. You can use other types of coating, such as red bean or mung bean powder!

Is This Recipe Vegetarian or Vegan?

Excitingly, this recipe is naturally vegetarian and vegan! 

Where Can I Buy the Ingredients for This Recipe?

When making this recipe, I recommend shopping at your local family-owned Korean grocery store or an Asian grocery store chain (such as H-Mart). You can also order ingredients such as roasted soybean powder and sweet glutinous rice powder online!

Where to Buy Korean Ingredients Online? 

Nowadays, there are many online options to choose from when ordering Korean food online. These websites are not limited to but include:

  • Amazon
  • H-mart
  • Hanpoom
  • Wooltari 
  • Seoul Mills
A photo of sweet rice cakes on a charcoal color plate. The plate sits on a rattan mat. The rice cakes are cute into bite-sized squares and dusted with roasted soybean powder.

I Hope You Enjoyed Learning How to Make This Korean Injeolmi Recipe!

In the end, I hope you enjoyed learning how to make this Korean injeolmi recipe. If so, let me know in the comment section! 

If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find recipes as well as further Korean ingredient articles on my blog. I listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by my family’s blended Korean and Southern heritage.

Further Carving A Journey Recipes:

If you have any questions or comments, you can also email me at [email protected]. And, finally, I would love to hear from you through our social media as well! You can follow me at @carvingajourney on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I also started a vlog YouTube channel with my husband! Or, if you would like more articles like these, you can subscribe to the blog by joining the mailing list. Let me know if you try making injeolmi. Thank you so much for stopping by!

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Korean Injeolmi Recipe

Recipe by Emily
5.0 from 1 vote
Course: Desserts, Korean Recipes, Recipe IndexCuisine: KoreanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

  • Sweet Rice Cake Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Sweet Rice Flour (Mochiko Flour)

  • 2 TBSP Sugar

  • 3/4 TSP Salt

  • 1.25 Cups Water

  • Soybean Powder Dusting
  • 1/2 Cup Roasted Soybean Powder

  • 1/2 TSP Sugar

  • 1/4 TSP Salt

Directions

  • Prepare a 9×9 brownie dish. In the dish, combine half of the roasted soybean powder, sugar, and salt needed for the soybean dusting. Then, mix. Finally, spread evenly over the bottom of the pan.
  • In a microwavable bowl, combine sweet rice flour, salt, and sugar. Then, mix the ingredients.
  • Add the water to a flour mixture and combine using a spatula. Continue to mix until all of the dry flour is incorporated. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Using your spatula, even out the top and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Put the covered bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes. Then, take out the bowl and remove the wrap. Using your spatula, mix the contents again so the partially cooked bits incorporate with the uncooked parts. Cover again.
  • Microwave again for another two minutes. Once again, uncover, mix the contents, and cover with plastic wrap.
  • Microwave on high for 1 minute. Then, uncover. Prepare a bowl of cold water. Dip your spatula in the cold water. Then, use the spatula to mix the sticky rice dough. Once the dough starts sticking to the spatula, dip it once again in the cold water. Then, mix again. Repeat this process 3-5 times. The water helps moisten the mixture while it cools enough to be touched.
  • Form the Injeolmi rice cake into a ball using your spatula and transfer it to your prepared 9×9 sheet pan. Now, prepare your hands* by wetting them in cold water. Quickly press down the rice cake to spread it out. Repeat wet your hands if it is too hot or starts sticking. Continue to press and spread until it covers most of the soybean powder area. While doing this, do not stress that your soybean powder is not sticking to the rice cakes. At this point, you are only using the soybean powder to keep the rice cake from sticking to the pan.
  • Once spread out fully in the pan, cut the large rice cake into rectangular or square bite-sized pieces using kitchen scissors. Add the other half of the soybean powder mixture on top of the freshly cut pieces in the pan. Then toss the rice cakes in the soybean mixture until they are fully coated in the powder. This takes a few minutes.
  • Once the soybean powder has coated all the pieces, serve them on a plate and enjoy with tea! I also like it with coffee!

Notes

  • *If you want, you can buy food safe gloves and use them during this process. It helps with the heat and it keeps your hands clean.

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