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Rice cakes are the staple dessert in many Asian cultures. The Japanese have mochi, the Chinese nian gao, and the Koreans tteok. Rice cakes are delicious because they’re not cloyingly sweet, the way many Western desserts are, and they have a wonderfully chewy texture.

There are so many different types of tteok in Korean culture. Injeolmi (or injulmi) is just one—a simple, very lightly sweetened round rice cake, coated in either mugwort or bean powders. The powders are really what give injeolmi its flavor—depending on what you roll it in, it can have a very nutty, pine-y or even milky taste.

Don’t be intimidated by injeolmi—it is so easy to make. The most important thing is the sweet rice flour, which is also referred to as glutinous rice powder or sticky rice flour. You can find this in any Asian grocery store—I used Koda Farm’s Mochiko powder.

You’ll be mixing the sweet rice flour (and some sugar and salt) with boiling water, so be careful not to burn your hands. You can start off with a spoon, and as the mixture cools, you can start kneading the dough with your hands. It will take a while to get everything into a smooth, elastic ball, but keep working the dough. Add water in little increments if you find it’s not coming together… but be careful not to over-wet it.

Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them into small balls. The balls will expand once you boil them, so don’t make them too big. You’re looking for balls of about one-inch in diameter, no larger.

You’ll know the rice cake balls are completely cooked when they float to the surface—usually within three to five minutes. As soon as they’re done, seize the residual cooking by dunking them in an ice-water bath.

Drain the rice cake balls well, and even pat them down with a paper towel. Immediately roll the slightly damp rice cake balls in you choice of powders—I used mugwort and soybean powders, but you could also use azuki bean powder or finely ground sesame seeds.

Injeolmi is often served at large parties or banquets, but I think they’re great as a light dessert or snack. They’ll stay soft in an airtight container for a few days, or you can even refrigerate them and reheat in a microwave.

Recipe: Injulmi (Rice Cakes)
Makes 45–50

• 3 cups of sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice powder or sticky rice flour; I used 1 box Mochiko powder)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup of boiling water (you may have to adjust)
• Your choice of rolling powders (I used mugwort and soybean powders, but you could use azuki bean powder or finely ground sesame seeds too)
• Soybean powder

Prepare your choice of powders in separate breading trays.

In a large bowl, sift sweet rice powder, sugar and salt and whisk well.

Gradually add hot water to dry ingredients, a little at a time, while mixing the paste together with a spoon so your hands don’t get burned. When the dough has cooled somewhat, continue mixing and kneading the dough by hand. Don’t be discouraged by the crumbly texture—the more you mix and knead, the more it will come together. If necessary, add more boiling water, but in very small increments—you don’t want it to get too wet.

When the consistency of the dough is smooth and elastic, pinch off little bits and roll into 1-inch diameter balls. These balls will expand once boiled, so don’t make them too big. Set the balls aside, and cover with a damp paper towel or cloth so they don’t dry out.

In a large pot, boil water. When the water comes to a rolling boil, drop rice cake balls in. Take care not to overcrowd the pot.

Continue boiling the rice balls until they’ve floated to the top, about 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately drop the balls in an ice bath to stop the residual cooking. Remove the balls from the cold water with a slotted spoon, place on a plate and pat dry with a paper towel.

Continue the process with the remaining rice balls.

Roll the now-sticky rice balls in your choice of powders and transfer them to a plate. They will stay soft in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or heat them up after refrigerating.