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Many home cooks keep on hand a lot of rice paper and typically have a stocked pantry, because it can be used in a diverse range of dishes. Frying makes it wonderfully tasty, which is true for many foods! These half-moons are packed with an fragrant ground chicken, while tteokbokki is a classic Korean recipe of soft rice cakes that are commonly prepared in a flavorful broth. They are not always easy to find, however, they are adored, so I prepare them from scratch.

Rice Paper Tteokbokki (pictured top)

Prep Five min
Cook 20 minutes
Makes a dozen

A standard pack containing rice paper spring roll wrappers
3 tbsp oil
Half a dozen cloves of garlic, minced after peeling
45ml of gochujang paste
Two tablespoons soy sauce

To serve
Sesame oil
Spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds

Submerge each round of rice paper in a shallow dish of cold water, submerging them until soft.

Form each into a cylinder, then slice into two and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet on a medium setting and, when it’s hot, add the minced garlic and fry.

Once the garlic is golden, add approximately 750ml cold water, the spicy paste and the soy sauce, and let it bubble for five minutes.

Gently add the rice paper cylinders into the pan and simmer for five to eight minutes, until they soften and the sauce thickens.

Serve with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkling of thinly cut scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Chicken Half-Moons

Prep 5 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Makes 6

Half a kilogram chicken mince
One teaspoon garlic paste
5ml of ginger paste
Two green onions, sliced
5ml of salt
Three teaspoons chilli flakes
1 egg
Six rice paper sheets
Vegetable oil, for frying
Hot sauce, to serve

Place the ground chicken in a bowl, then incorporate the garlic and ginger pastes, chopped green onions, salt and chilli flakes.

Introduce the egg and blend thoroughly.

Take a plate with a rim and pour in some cold water.

Briefly immerse a rice paper circle in the water and let it soften – this will take only a few seconds.

Lay the paper on a board, spoon a sixth of the chicken mince mixture on half of the paper, then distribute it evenly, leaving a 1cm border.

Fold the other half of paper on top of the filling, then fold back the border to seal.

Repeat with with the remaining five rice paper sheets and filling.

Pour enough oil into the base of a skillet so that the bottom is coated.

Heat it up on a high setting and, when sufficiently heated, place the half-moons a couple at once and pan-fry until browned and crunchy.

Once one side is done, carefully turn them and brown the reverse.

Continue with the rest of the parcels.

Enjoy immediately while warm with a preferred spicy condiment.