Sundubu Jigae- Korean tofu stew
My Korean bestie introduced me to sundubu jigae - soft tofu stew, and I have made this baby probably every week since. So I thank her for teaching me how to make this recipe.
This seafood and soft tofu packed spicy soup is perfect to unclog those sinuses and your pores. Squid, mussels, prawns, octopus, you name it, she’s got it. 🦑🦐🦪.
Prep:
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
For the stock
8-10 dried anchovies - or I use Japanese dashi | Use dried shiitake mushroom to make it vegan
4-5 inch dried kelp seaweed
For the stew
1 12 oz silken tofu
1 cup seafood mix or whatever you want seafood to use | Use veggies like zucchini and mushrooms to make it vegan
1-2 tbsp gochugaru - red chili flakes (finer than regular chili flakes)
1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp fish sauce - dashi
2 1/2 cup water
1 green onion stalk
1 egg
1 jalapeno for that extra spice (optional)
salt & pepper
Recipe:
Any good stew/soup always starts with a good base, a really well balanced stock/brot. A lot of korean recipes use anchovy and kelp as umami agents. Even in some really high-quality kimchi, this stock is used - you wouldn’t have guessed!
Pro-tip: If you want to make this recipe vegan or aren’t really a seafoody person, use dried shiitake mushroom. Mushroom is the closest to a meat substitute when it comes to creating a flavorful base flavor.
To make your broth/stock, boil the anchovy and kelp in 2- 2 1/2 cup water on medium-high for at least 15 minutes. The longer you boil, the better the stock! My trick is to add some dashi (japanese fish sauce) to sorta jump start the stock. Dashi has a smokey flavor that I love, so it really works well in creating a robust stock for sundubu jigae.
Once you’re happy with your stock, turn off the heat at set aside.
To cook this stew, you’ll require a Korean dolsot stone/cookware or at least a quart sized pot.
On high, heat the oil in the cookware. Once the oil starts to smoke add the garlic and chili powder and constantly stir for roughly 2 minutes being mindful of not burning the chili flakes. Throw in the seafood and coat it well in the spice and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Pro-tip: To veganize it, use chopped up veggies and mushroom instead of seafood.
After you’ve stir fried the seafood mix a bit, reduce the heat to medium-high and add the fish and soy sauce, cook for another minute and pour in 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the anchovy/kelp broth. Then add the soft/silken tofu and bring the stew to a boil for 2-3 minutes.
While the stew is boiling, crack an egg into the pot and stir the stew gently. You don’t want to break down the soft tofu too much nor the egg. You want it chunky. Garnish with sesame oil, black pepper, jalapenos and lots of scallion, andddd you’re done!
Best served with rice and an assortment of korean side dishes (banchan). The Koreans just know to eat so well. Just such a thoughtful flavor profile and palette. 👏
