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1
Line a steamer basket with a dampened cotton cloth, so the rice sits on a surface that lets steam pass freely while preventing grains from falling through, and spread the soaked, drained glutinous rice in an even layer across it. Steam over vigorously boiling water for 25–30 minutes — a sluggish simmer will leave the grains unevenly cooked. The rice is ready when every grain is fully transparent and has gelatinised completely into a cohesive, shining mass; no white, chalky centres should remain.
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2
Transfer the steamed rice immediately to a large wooden mortar (절구, jeolgu) and begin pounding without delay, so the mass stays hot enough to fuse and stretch rather than stiffen and crack under the pestle. Strike with sustained force, rotating the mass between blows, for a minimum of 100–200 strikes; two people alternating in a coordinated rhythm is the traditional method, as it maintains momentum and heat together. This is where the dish lives or dies — continue until the mass is completely smooth, uniformly elastic, and stretches without tearing or showing any grain, because a grainy or uneven texture signals insufficient pounding and cannot be corrected once the tteok cools.
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3
Oil the work surface and both hands generously so the hot tteok does not bond to every surface it touches and can be pulled cleanly into shape. While the mass is still warm — even 5 minutes of cooling makes it stiff and liable to tear — turn it out and pull it into cylinders of approximately 4 cm diameter. Cold tteok cannot be shaped, so the move from mortar to work surface must be immediate.
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4
Spread the konggomul generously across a tray or board, then cut the cylinders into pieces of approximately 3–4 cm with an oiled knife or kitchen scissors, dropping each piece directly into the soybean flour as it is cut, so the freshly exposed sticky surfaces are captured by the flour before they meet each other and clump. Turn each piece to coat on all sides at once. The exterior should be uniformly dry, matte, and nutty-smelling.
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5
Serve warm, within 30 minutes of making, for the fullest elasticity and the most pronounced textural contrast between the sticky interior and the dry soybean-flour crust. Day-old injeolmi should be revived in a steamer for 3–5 minutes, or wrapped in damp cloth and microwaved briefly, until pliable again — gentle returned heat and moisture bring back the stretch that cooling takes away.