The top 3 sought after Korean stews are Sundubu JJigae, Kimchi JJigae, and Doenjang JJigae. But Sundubu JJigae is the most popular among non-Korean.
Sundubu Jjigae is a Korean stew made with soft uncurdled tofu, vegetables, sometimes mushrooms, onion, and meat. The texture of tofu is very silky and soft. You can make different types of Sundubu Jjigae depends on the choice of ingredients. Restaurants usually offer several variations on the menu.
For the best tastes, we recommended to us fully fermented kimchi to cook with it. Feel free to use beef, chicken, or seafood to add extra heaviness to the stew.
As many readers experience n the restaurant, Sundubu JJigae is often served with a raw egg to be cracked into the boiling hot stew at the table. but this is a matter of individual preference.
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
Korean Soft Tofu Stew – Soondubu Jjigae – 순두부
SUNDUBU JJIGAE (KOREAN SPICY SOFT TOFU STEW)
Ingredients
Main
- 350 g Korean soft tofu (12 ounces)
- 110 g littleneck clams (3.9 ounces), cleaned
- 3 banana prawns (80g / 2.8 ounces), head, shells and guts removed
- 100 g enoki mushrooms (3.5 ounces), bottom 4-5 cm stem removed and rinsed briefly in cold running water
- 45 g oyster mushrooms or shimeji mushrooms (1.6 ounces), rinsed and separated by hand
- 2 shiitake mushrooms (20g / 0.7 ounces), cleaned, stem removed and thinly sliced
- 1 egg , optional
- 1 stalk green onion (10g /0.4 ounces), diagonally thinly sliced
Soup base
- 1.5 cups Dried kelp and dried anchovy stock
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil , I used rice bran oil
- 2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes or Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce , kikkoman regular or Korean soup soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp Korean fish sauce
- A few sprinkles ground black pepper
- A dash sesame oil , about 1/2 tsp
Instructions
- Put the cooking oil, chili powder or flakes, and garlic into a pot. Heat the pot on the stove on medium low heat and stir the spices well for 1 min. Make sure not to burn the chilli powder.
- Add the clams and shrimps and stir quickly to coat them with the chilli sauce. Add the soy sauce and fish sauce then stir.
- Add the dried kelp and anchovy stock and boil it on medium to medium-high heat until it starts to boil rapidly (2 to 3 mins).
- Add the tofu, in big chunks, mushrooms, and egg and cook them for another 2 to 3 mins. Season with salt, if required.
- Top up with the green onion, black pepper and sesame oil. Serve hot with Korean rice and side dishes (banchan).
Notes
- 1 Tbsp = 15 ml
